How I Met Your Mother (And Messed Up Trying)
by bs13
Summary: HIMYM!AU. Jack Frost is finally telling his kids the greatest story of all time—how he met their mother. But, of course, the story wouldn't be complete if it didn't include his life before that, right? (ROTBTFD characters & a few more included)


**This is barely even Jackunzel so be warned. Um it's more like mash-ups of CGI characters and some cute Daddy Jack stuff...but Celeste, it's got all of your dorks so just take your present like ten million years late.**

**So...this piece of shit is dedicated to _Florairmatylee_. You're welcome, Celeste. *said flatly but it's ok cuz no one is going to read this long-ass piece of trash anyway***

**NOTE: stuff with three dots before and after the words are present. Everything else is the "story" and therefore the past. Idk a lot of this is really confusing.**

* * *

.

.

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"Mommy _always_ sings us to sleep."

Jack's heard the phrase a million times, whether it be said pleadingly or jokingly, whether it be said quietly or half-heartedly, whether it be whispered through the dark of a room, or whether it be said in a half-asleep daze. However, he's amused to hear the phrase today said almost _challengingly_.

Smiling, Jack Frost kneels down and stares into the stern face of his five-year-old daughter. "Tell you what, kid," he says, "I'll sing for you. I know the song like the back of my hand. _The sun'll come out_—"

The five-year-old breaks resolve, giggling when she hears her favorite song. "Daddy, that's not _it_!" she shrieks, and she allows her father to grin broadly and pick her up, swinging her in his arms.

"Oh, it isn't?" he asks, pretending to be shocked.

"_No_!" squeals the little girl as Jack drops her onto her bed, immediately tucking her in with the pink and purple covers, and setting down her favorite stuffed bear beside her.

"Okay, Sophie, then help me out," Jack tells his daughter, reaching out and tugging lightly on her blond hair, which makes her giggle again. "You tell me the lyrics, and I'll sing them. But wait...I think I'm missing a kid. Let me count. One...just one. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I need two."

Sophie's mouth falls open, her gap-toothed grin prominent. "He's still in the bathroom, Daddy!" she exclaims, sounding scandalized as she remembers.

"So he is," Jack says thoughtfully. "I'll go get him so I can sing to both of you, okay? You wait here and make sure to remember all the words to Mommy's song so you can help me." He taps a finger on her nose, and Sophie agrees.

Leaving his daughter's room, Jack goes into the bathroom, tapping on the door that's closed halfway. The door falls open, revealing the ten-year-old brunette boy dragging a wet toothbrush painstakingly slow across his teeth.

"You're taking a pretty long time there, kid," Jack says casually as he leans against the doorway, glancing at the mirror and watching his son's face fall suspiciously tense.

"I'm busy," the boy says stubbornly.

"You were supposed to be done a few minutes ago, weren't you?"

The ten-year-old puts his toothbrush aside, rinsing out his mouth and pointedly ignoring his father. Even when he should be done, his son draws out the process, keeping a pout on his face.

"Alright, Jamie, what is it?" Jack asks, pushing off the doorframe.

Jamie turns off the water. "What d'ya mean?" he mumbles.

"Something's bothering you," Jack says.

Jamie gives a limp shrug. "I'm fine," he objects.

"No you're not." Jack reaches out and tousles his son's hair. "What is it?"

Jamie bites his lip before muttering, "S'nothing."

"Oh, it's something. C'mon, out with it," Jack says.

Jamie looks down and mumbles, ashamedly, "_You_ can't sing Mommy's song."

Jack can't help but let a laugh escape him. "That's what's bothering you?" he asks. "I know I'd never be able to belt out a tune like your mom, but a guy can only try." He winks at his son, but Jamie isn't moved.

"I want to hear _her_ sing it," Jamie mutters, now looking embarrassed.

Jack smiles softly. "Alright, kiddo, you and Sophie have me beat," he says. "I'm hurt, truly, that neither of you want to hear my amazing singing voice"—here, Jamie cracks an apologetic smile—"but let's be honest; I'd never do your mom justice. So what do you say we switch up the bedtime routine?"

"How?" Jamie asks curiously.

"Get in bed and I'll tell you," Jack orders, nudging the boy forward.

Once both his kids are in their respective beds (that are beside each other's), Jack pulls up a chair that faces both of them. Sophie grins expectantly, but Jamie just eyes his father skeptically.

"Sing the song, Daddy!" Sophie cries.

"Change of plans, Soph," Jack says. "I'm telling you a bedtime story instead."

"Yay!" Sophie looks at Jamie happily, but Jamie's still skeptical.

"What kind of story?" he asks.

Jack chuckles. "Thanks for the interrogation, Jamie," he teases. "But don't worry, kids, this'll be an incredible story: the story of how I met your mother."

"Why is that going to be incredible?" Jamie questions.

"Shh—I'm getting into story mode."

"Like a robot?" asks Sophie.

Jack ignores that and starts his story (a G rated version of it, anyway).

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.

.

* * *

Jack remembers the first time he meets Tooth.

He's been sitting at the bar for an hour, nursing his scotch the whole time. He'd never usually order something so strong, not on a night before work, but he can't help it; he feels so betrayed. So alone.

The stool beside him swivels. "Figured you'd here," says the familiar voice.

Jack turns and stares at the stone-faced blond that takes a seat beside him. "What are you doing here, Astrid?" he asks, voice coming out more sour than intended.

"You broke up with Mary," Astrid says like it's obvious.

"She goes by M.K.," Jack corrects automatically, but suddenly it feels like he's still dating her, and he goes quiet, finishing his scotch with one long swig.

"My bad," Astrid says sarcastically. "I know your ex-girlfriend just broke up with you and is a heartless bitch, but I'm _so_ sorry that I didn't call her her preferred name."

"Don't call her a bitch," Jack interrupts. "Just...don't. She's a nice woman."

"She broke up with you, Jack."

"Because she got back together with her boyfriend," Jack says. "And that's good—she missed him a lot. Sometimes life just works like that, okay? Not everyone meets the love of their life in college."

Astrid snorts at the choice wording—she doesn't like the words _love of your life_—but doesn't deny it. "Fine, so she wasn't a bitch," she grumbles, almost like she's disappointed. "It still hurts you, doesn't it?"

"Yes, and thank you, Dr. Phil, for your consideration," Jack says.

Astrid punches him in the shoulder. "Oh, shut up," she says, rolling her eyes. "I'm just checking up on you because Hiccup sent me to. He said you thought this girl was going to be _the one_, like always."

"I might've told him that in a drunken stupor," Jack affirms slowly.

Astrid sighs. "_God_, you're so lame."

"Well, point reiterated—not everyone finds the love of their life in college," Jack says, pointing an accusatory finger at her. "So let me have my woes of love."

"You don't have woes of love when no one loves you," Astrid says pointedly.

Jack ignores that. "Well, someday I'll find the one," he defends himself. "Like it or not, Astrid, some of us are actually good with women and have _standards_, unlike Hiccup."

Astrid huffs at that. "That's a lie," she says, tone dry at the backhanded mock insult. "At this point, Frost, I'd expect you to marry the next girl who walks into the bar."

As if on cue, Tooth walks into the bar.

Astrid turns around and calls for two scotches at the moment, so she misses it, but Jack watches as Tooth enters the bar, suddenly enraptured. He's never seen a girl so _beautiful_ before, and unconventionally so; she's short, with hair an array of blues, greens, and yellows, and the most excited smile Jack's ever seen on a person entering a bar, and a face that just _looks_ kind and loving...

Astrid hits him again.

"Ow," Jack says, flinching away. "The hell was that for?"

"_That_." Astrid points at his face before sliding a scotch across the table at him, then turning and eyeing Tooth. "You have that lovey-dovey look in your eyes again, and the last thing I need is for you to go over to that woman and _actually_ suggest marriage to her—"

"Hey, I was not going to—"

Astrid pinches his arm. Viciously.

"Geez, what's with the violence?" Jack asks instead, rubbing his skin protectively.

"I don't need you to go over to that girl, all emotionally compromised after your breakup, just so you can get rejected and start becoming a sobbing mess in this bar," Astrid says accusingly.

Jack frowns. "Okay, for one, who says I'm going to get _rejected_—"

"Me. I do."

"—and also, I would not become a sobbing mess—"

"Alright, I'll give you that one; I'm thinking of Hiccup, not you," Astrid says flippantly.

Jack chuckles. "I can just _feel_ the love between you two, it's that strong."

Astrid pinches him again. "Fuck you. You just better not go over to that girl—"

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

Jack glances to the left of him, and there she _is_, the girl who walked into the bar and took his breath away. (Astrid has to muffle a groan into her scotch as she takes a hearty gulp, because Jack immediately lets the girl sit beside him.)

"I'm Jack, by the way," Jack says, giving her a smile..

The girl's eyes light up. "Oh wow, your teeth are _perfect_!"

She then proceeds to stick her hands into his mouth, nimble fingers prodding at his teeth and gums. Jack lets his mouth be pulled and stretched confusedly; that is not quite the reaction he was expecting. Even Astrid looks confused, and Jack's pretty sure she mumbles "_Lord help me, do not let him marry this woman_" under her breath.

"Sorry!" the girl suddenly exclaims, jerking her hands out of his mouth. She's blushing a very deep red as she sheepishly sits down. "I didn't mean to do that. I'm a dentist, see, and for a second there I forgot you weren't a patient, and your teeth are just so _white_ and well-kept and I just—"

"It's okay," Jack interrupts, laughing slightly. "My teeth appreciate the flattery."

The girl smiles, a soft, genuine smile. "I'm Tooth," she says.

Astrid hears the name and literally calls for another drink when she does.

* * *

.

.

.

"Why did Aunt Astrid keep drinking juice, Daddy?" Sophie asks.

Jack jerks back to reality, barely remembering how he'd censored his tale. "Just because Aunt Astrid likes juice, and she was thirsty that day," he says lamely, but Jamie doesn't look at all convinced.

.

.

.

* * *

"I want to marry her."

Jack looks up from the notepad he's been sketching on. "Who, your scary-ass girlfriend?" he asks. "Because if it's not her, then we have a problem. Or a good thing, considering on how much you value your life."

Hiccup, his best friend, frowns down at him. "I love her, Jack," he says.

"That's nice to hear, but shouldn't _she_ be the one hearing that?"

Hiccup just sits down. "Don't be a sarcastic ass right now," he says. "I'm—I'm freaking out. I got a ring, and I want to propose, but what if it isn't a ring she likes, and what if the moment isn't _good_, and—"

"Hic," Jack interrupts. "Hate to break it to you, but the woman you've been dating for seven years now? Yeah, she kinda loves you. So I'm pretty sure even if you have the crappiest proposal in the world—which isn't too far off of a guess—she'll marry you."

Hiccup frowns. "That's—that's not the _problem_."

"Then paint me a picture here. We're not all super geniuses like you."Hiccup sighs, rubbing a hand over his freckled face and through his shaggy hair. "Well...what if she thinks this is too fast?" he asks quietly. "We're kind of young, and maybe she doesn't want to be tied down yet."

"So she can find someone better? Yeah, I'd do that too."

Hiccup isn't listening. "And if she says yes, then is this it?" he asks hopelessly. "Is it going to be the real thing? Are we going to have a family, going to grow old together, going to—"

"Hic," Jack interrupts again. "You're fine. She loves you, and for some reason you love her. That's all you need, right? Love? The Beatles thought that, so it's probably true."

"...fuck you."

"Love you too, buddy."

(Later, when Hiccup calls him all panicky and says "She said yes" repeatedly before hanging up, Jack ends up driving over to his house and finds out that he's passed out.)

It's like a turning point for Jack. His best friend, only twenty-six years old, is _getting married_. Jack's pretty certain that knowing the person Hiccup's engaged to might ensure that Hiccup might never reach age twenty-seven, but at the same time, Jack's kind of..._jealous_. Hiccup's got his life together. Jack...not so much. He hasn't dated seriously since college, and like it or not, he wants to find a love like Hiccup and Astrid's.

(Preferably with a woman not as scary as Astrid, though.)

* * *

.

.

.

"Did Uncle Hiccup think Aunt Astrid was scary too?" Sophie questions.

"Oh, he did. Everyone did," Jack assures her.

"Why'd he marry her, then?" Jamie asks curiously.

Jack has to shrug. "Because sometimes, people have death wishes."

.

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* * *

Jack likes Tooth. She's kind, adores children, is passionate about her work (_really_ passionate), and though tends to be kind of scatter-minded and a bit of a klutz when excited, is a nice person to be around. She's the kind of girl Jack can envision a future with easily.

So he wants to ask her out.

"So, um, what do you say, Tooth?" Jack asks lamely. "Will you go out with me?"

"No thanks. Ah've got better people tah be seein'."

"Merida, that's not helping," Jack says, frowning as his redheaded friend laughs into her drink. He's regretting ever asking the Scott for her help, because while she's a good drinking buddy, she's never been good with feelings.

"Whaddya want meh tah do, Frost?" Merida asks. "Yah want meh tah start jumpin' about and proclamin' my undyin' love fer yah? 'Cause ah won' do it unless yah pay me. No, y'know what, not even then."

"A yes would've been okay," Jack says, pouting.

"Yah told meh yah wanted tah pretend what would happen in real life," Merida objects. "Ah'm just keepin' things real. Yah should be thankin' meh fer this."

Jack just takes a long drink of his whiskey. "I hate you," he mutters.

"Keep tellin' yahself that."

* * *

.

.

.

"What's a drinking buddy, Daddy?" Sophie asks.

Jack's eyes widen—shit, he'd said that. "Um, it's just a friend, Sophie."

"Do I have a drinking buddy?" his daughter asks excitedly.

"..."

.

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.

* * *

So Jack asks Tooth out.

It's a casual thing. He mentions it, really, just in passing. It's not like he was left dressed up like a giant tooth with lots of tiny humans (Tooth's patients) as witnesses for when she said no. And she said no rather quickly.

"But it's cool," Jack assures Hiccup. "She has a boyfriend, that's why."

Hiccup leans back comfortably on Jack's couch, accommodating the girlfriend (sorry, fiancé) sitting on his lap. "You're okay with that?" he asks. "I thought you really wanted to go out with her."

"I did. But if we are really meant to be, then well find each other, I'm sure," Jack says, trying to be elusive and rom-com romantic (personally, he can't stand talking like this), but he can almost _feel_ Astrid rolling her eyes.

* * *

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.

.

"You asked out Aunt Tooth?" Jamie asks.

Jack laughs, rubbing his neck as he realizes how strange it sounds to his kids. "Yeah, I did," he admits. "And the thing is, Jamie, I thought for sure that she would be your mom."

"How come?" Sophie pipes up.

Jack just gives them an embarrassed grin and continues telling the story.

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.

* * *

"Tooth and her boyfriend broke up," Jack says excitedly.

Hiccup glances up. "Uh," he starts, "I...don't know how to react to that."

"Because of me! They broke up because of me!" Jack says gleefully.

"...and you're happy because—?"

"Because she likes me! I told you she was the one, Hic!" Jack says, plunking down beside his best friend, who is sitting at the bar (this time without the scary girlfriend).

"Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself?" Hiccup asks dryly.

Jack calls for a glass of scotch, grinning widely, and even orders Hiccup another drink. This is it—he's got the girl, and she's _great_, and this could be the best thing that's ever happened to him.

* * *

This is the worst thing that's ever happened to him.

Jack is left alone in the rain, staring after the woman who's walking away from him. He feels disgusted with himself. He almost wants to run after her, and call out her name, and apologize a million times, but he can't force himself to. It seems like he's already ruined this for good.

* * *

.

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.

"Daaaady," complains Sophie. "This isn't about how you met Mommy at _all_."

"Soph. Have faith in your old man. I've got this, okay?"

.

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.

* * *

"You did _what_?!"

Jack winces. "Astrid, for the love of God, don't—"

Astrid punches him. _Hard_. "You told Tooth, the woman you met, what, a month ago, that you _loved_ her?" she asks angrily, swiping her bangs out of her eyes and somehow making the action look scarier than usual.

"It just slipped out!" Jack says defensively.

"You—you—_jackass_!" Astrid hits him again.

Hiccup chooses that moment to walk into the living room. "Uh, why are we talking about Jack's ass?" he asks slowly, handing Astrid the drink he'd mixed her in the kitchen.

"He told Tooth he was in love with her," Astrid says, frowning in Jack's direction.

"Well, Astrid punched me," Jack retorts childishly.

Hiccup groans. "Jack, how could you do that? You just _met_ her!"

"Is no one going to mention how she just _punched_ me?!"

Astrid punches him again.

* * *

Tooth meets Jack exactly a week after their failed date, at the bar they met at.

"Hey, Jack," she says, rather sheepishly.

Jack glances up from his drink in surprise. "Tooth?" he questions.

"Do you mind if I sit?" Tooth asks. "I'd like to talk."

"Yeah, of course," Jack says. "I'll, uh, buy you a drink."

So he does, and they're sitting there, silently sipping their respective drinks (oddly enough, she likes scotch as much as he does), when she breaks the silence.

"I'm sorry," Tooth says after a minute. "I didn't mean to leave like I did."

"No, I'm sorry," Jack quickly cuts in. "I—don't really love you."

"You don't?" Tooth perks up. "Thank _God_."

"No need to be so relieved," Jack jokes, tension suddenly eased.

Tooth laughs, shoulder shaking just the slightest as she shakes her head. "I feel like I should explain something," she says when she's done. "The thing is, I left my old boyfriend because things were just getting too serious. When I met you, I thought I could get a fresh start, and maybe escape that whole poisonous relationship. Then you said you loved me, and...my one instinct was to bolt."

"Is that what happened with your old boyfriend?" Jack asks.

Tooth nods. "I...I'm not ready for that. Love, anyway." She orders them two more drinks before finishing, "But I like you, Jack. I think we should stay friends."

"Is that what we are? Friends?"

"I'd hope so," Tooth says, smiling prettily.

Jack doesn't even have to think about it. Sure, he's disappointed, but then again, Tooth might change her mind later. "Well, if you're a friend, then you're officially in the gang," he announces.

Tooth's eyes widen. "I can't be in a gang," she whispers, shocked.

Jack laughs. "You're funny," he says approvingly. "The others'll like you."

Tooth's facial expression morphs into one of horror.

Jack's face falls. "Oh God, _no_," he hurries to say. "I didn't mean in an actual _gang_. I mean...I wanted you to meet my friends, maybe hang out with us if you're not busy. Not—well, you know."

"Oh. _Oh_. Well, I'd like that. I don't really have friends."

"Really? Why not?" Jack asks in surprise.

"I've just moved here," Tooth admits. "I haven't really met people."

Jack gives her a smile. "Well, you've got a friend right here," he assures her.

It takes a minute, but slowly, Tooth starts to smile again too.

* * *

"So Jack mentioned you moved here recently, Tooth?" Hiccup says.

He, Jack, Tooth, Astrid, and Merida are sitting in Jack's apartment. Hiccup is playing the usual girlfriend pillow on the couch, with Merida next to him and Astrid, while Jack and Tooth share the love seat. They're watching some recent movie that's come out, but they're all really only half-watching.

"Yes, I did," Tooth says. "I used to live in England."

"England? An' yah don' have an accent?" Merida asks.

Tooth blushes. "Um, I practiced my America accent there a lot," she admits.

"Nerd," Jack teases, and Tooth elbows him jokingly.

Hiccup watches the exchange with a quizzical brow quirked, and Astrid shares a calculating look with him; they're both thinking the exact same thing.

"And how do yah like it 'ere?" Merida asks.

"It's nice," Tooth says respectfully. "A little stranger than I'd expected it to be. Everyone here seems nice enough, but I don't know, maybe that's just at my office."

"Right, you're a dentist," Astrid says.

Tooth smiles at that, thinking of her job. "I love it there," she says fondly. "Even when you don't fit in well with your coworkers, there's always kids who will smile at you when you talk to them."

"Kids?" Merida looks like she's insulted. "Yah like kids?"

"Kids are great," Tooth says, and she's got a far-away look in her eyes when she continues, "They're so young and innocent and inexperienced in the world...and they've got so much to learn, to believe in, and to think that I as a dentist can help shape their perception of the world...it's amazing."

When she's done talking, she glances at the group of people around her and shyly shrugs as if she's said nothing. Hiccup and Astrid exchange conspicuous glances. Merida quirks an eyebrow. But Jack...well, he's staring at her in awe, never having heard anyone so passionate before.

And maybe he's not in love with her, but he sure as hell likes her.

* * *

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.

.

"Daddy, that was a bad word!" Sophie yelps.

Jack blinks back to reality. "I said hell?" he asks, worried.

Sophie's eyes grow wide. "Oooh, that one was a _badder_ word."

"Sophie thinks the word 'dentist' is a bad word," Jamie explains, giving his father an accusatory glance (because Jack may or may not have told Sophie that "bad words" translate to anything evil).

"Oh." Jack relaxes. "So, how am I doing, guys? Anyone sleepy yet?"

"_I'm_ sleepy," Sophie agrees, "but I want to know how you met Mommy!"

"Alright, alright, I'll speed it up," Jack promises lightly, waving it off.

.

.

.

* * *

Jack meets Elsa Arendelle a few months later.

It's good to move on from Tooth, from what never could've been. Elsa's a bit distant, maybe as messed up as he is, but she works with Jack and seems like she's good company. So, Jack invites her out for lunch. He's got nothing to lose, right?

"Thank you for lunch," mentions Elsa as they sit down. She's being polite, smiling as they get a table. She looks nice, light blond hair in a bun and elegant blue summer dress on.

Jack smiles back. "Thanks for joining me," he replies, equally polite.

They make an awkward attempt at small talk. Jack doesn't know much about Elsa except she likes ice (okay, ice-skating, because they're both ice-skating instructors). But he does found out a few things, like her sister is dating her ex-boyfriend (ouch), that she doesn't do much for fun (besides sing, which she swears she'll never do for him), and likes schedules (yeah, weird).

Jack tries to share a bit about his life too, but his isn't that great. He's an orphan, with no one to really call family except for the uncle who raised him (who he also hasn't spoken to in years). He loves fun (snowball fights, playing with kids, video games, you name it), and is a bit of a neat freak (he admits this like the man he is).

It's a pretty good date. And Jack doesn't even blurt out that he loves her at the end of it, either; instead, they exchange numbers and agree that they should do this again. Jack likes dating again, getting to know a girl. He's going to love this.

He should've loved this.

* * *

Tooth isn't jealous. She isn't.

But Jack Frost just happens to be at the bar, arm slung around a pretty blond (who looks like she could be his twin, by the way), and grinning and laughing in a way Tooth feels like he shouldn't unless he's with _her_.

Which of course makes her feel bad. _She_ was the one who didn't want a serious relationship. She likes that they're just friends, anyway—it's not like she and Jack ever had a chance to be more.

But somehow...it hurts.

And it really shouldn't hurt.

* * *

Jack kisses Elsa when they're getting to the ice rink.

"Have fun teaching your class to do your hard-ass fancy spin," he says.

She smirks at him. "Have fun teaching yours to stand upright on ice."

"Touché. Kiss me for good luck?"

"Again?" asks Elsa, but she kisses him again anyway.

When she's gone, Jack starts to lace up his skates to prepare teaching the beginner's ice-skating class. As he's fixing his jacket to stand, he glances up to see Tooth staring down at him.

"Whoa, you pop out of nowhere," Jack says, surprised. "Tooth? What are you doing here? Don't you have like fifty dentist appointments you're missing right now?"

"I have days off, you know," Tooth says, cracking a smile.

"Yeah, but you never use 'em," Jack retorts, grinning back easily at her.

"Yeah," she agrees absentmindedly. "So you're working right now?"

"Yup. I'm teaching the beginner's ice-skating class in like fifteen minutes," Jack says, checking his watch quickly. "Hey, you should join. I can lend you some skates, give you a free lesson..."

Tooth shakes her head. "Oh no, I'm...a klutz."

"C'mon, I'm sure you can't be worse than some of my other students."

Tooth suddenly thinks of something. "I'll do it if you buy me lunch afterwards," she says, crossing her arms and pretending to look serious (and hoping he'll take the bait, because she doesn't want him to keep spending time with his _girlfriend_).

He does. "You got yourself a deal there, Toothie," he says. "Prepare yourself."

Tooth knows that, in retrospect, it's stupid; she's not in love with Jack. She doesn't have to compromise herself for spending time with him (because she's absolutely _hopeless_ on ice). In fact, she should be happy that Jack's with Elsa; now Jack won't end up loving Tooth like she'd feared.

But she's _jealous_. There, she admits it. Losing Jack...it makes her want him.

They do go out for lunch after the lesson. Tooth is relieved that she was not the worst skater there (there was a girl named Anna, Elsa's sister, who severely gave Tooth's usage of the word klutz a run for its money). Even better is that Jack told Elsa he was leaving, and they hadn't kissed or done anything lovey-dovey (not that Tooth was watching or anything).

"Hamburgers?" Jack suggests as they walk out of the rink.

"Salad," Tooth objects. "Hamburgers are too many calories."

"Like you need to watch calories," Jack says good-naturedly, nudging her body with his as they walk. "You dentists are always healthy. It's like calories end up in cavities."

"High-calorie foods often are the most harmful for teeth," Tooth agrees.

Jack snickers. "I always knew you were a nerd."

"I always knew you were a nerd, too," Tooth teases. "You've got quite the personality on the ice, you know—who knew you could be so passionate about skating?"

"Don't understimate skating," Jack warns. "Someday there's going to be another Ice Age, and then the only people who'll survive are the ice skaters. Sorry, _dentist_."

Tooth giggles. "That'll be a horrible age—ice skaters are so cocky, the world'll be dragged into ruin by the second day," she jokes, and grins at Jack's mock gasp of horror.

"That's it, I'm not saving you when the Ice Age hits," Jack says decidedly, and he grins back. They reach a burger joint, and Jack insists there are salads there as he drags Tooth in. (There aren't, by the way.)

Jack pays for the both of them, as promised. He's squirting ketchup on his burger, and Tooth is drinking from her vanilla ice cream shake, when she decides to grow up and discuss Elsa with Jack before she loses her mind.

"So," Tooth starts cautiously, "you and Elsa."

Jack rearranges the bun of his burger. "Yeah," he says, smiling fondly. "She's great, Tooth. I mean...did you know she loves to paint? Just like I do. And she's an orphan like me too. Plus she doesn't even judge that my main job is giving ice-skating classes, like other women I've dated, because that's her main job too. I feel like she really understands me, you know?"

"She sounds like a female you," Tooth says flatly.

Jack doesn't pay attention to her tone. "I think this might be it, Tooth," he says, looking stupidly happy. "I mean, it's way too early to be certain, but...maybe this is it."

"It?" Tooth echoes.

Jack flushes. "Well...you know...the girl I end up with," he clarifies.

"Like _marry_?" Tooth asks quizzically.

"Maybe," Jack assures her. "Just maybe. Like I said, it's too early..."

"It's like you saying you love her at the end of a first date," Tooth says.

Jack glances at her, surprised by the somewhat dry tone she's interjected in her words, but then Tooth cracks a fake smile and Jack, thinking it's real, starts to smile too.

"Never going to let me live that down, are you?" Jack asks, suddenly laughing.

"Never," Tooth affirms.

Jack gives her a heartwarming smile. "I guess I can live with that."

* * *

.

.

.

"Daddy, this story is weird," Sophie complains.

Jamie seems to agree. "Why are you telling us so much about Aunt Tooth?"

"Patience, young ones—I know what I'm doing."

"But _Daddy_—"

"Soph. I know what I'm doing."

Jamie snorts. "Yeah, right."

"Don't sass me, mister—I know where you live!"

.

.

.

* * *

"Guys, you know Elsa," Jack says, his hand on the small of her back as he leads the girl in front of the table at the diner where Merida, Tooth, Astrid, and Hiccup are sitting.

"Yer girlfriend?" Merida asks flatly.

"That's me," Elsa says, smiling a little thinly.

"It's great to meet you," Tooth offers, quickly moving aside so she can sit.

Elsa does, smiling gratefully, and Jack sits down across from her, next to Astrid.

"How've you been, Jack?" Hiccup asks. "It's been a while."

"Couple of months, to be exact," Tooth interjects.

Jack smiles at Elsa. "I'm great, thanks—our vacation was awesome."

"It was beautiful in Hawaii," Elsa agrees, but she gives Jack a stern look afterwards. "I kept telling him he shouldn't have taken me on such an expensive vacation—"

"But of course, she loved it," Jack says teasingly.

Elsa blushes.

"Well, yah've missed out on a lot 'ere," Merida says.

"Yeah, you didn't bother staying in touch," Tooth says, voice a little accusatory.

"Sorry guys, my phone was dead half the time," Jack says ruefully. "Plus, this one's needy, so I had to spend all my time with her," he adds, nudging Elsa's foot under the table, to which she just smirks at.

"Ah don' need that image in mah head—thanks a lot, Frost," Merida grumbles.

Astrid snorts. "I would've thought you _loved_ those images..."

"Astrid Hofferson, don' think ah won' kill yah—"

"What? What is it?" Jack asks, looking between the two.

Merida frowns, face a dark red. "Nothin'."

"Oh, it's something," Astrid says, lips curled in a satisfied smirk. "She's a slut."

"Ah am _not_," Merida says fiercely. "Ah've jus' been..."

"Sleeping around?" Astrid finishes.

"If yah don' shut up, lass, ah swear I'll—"

Elsa clears her throat, looking extremely uncomfortable. "Jack, can you get me a drink?" she asks, not daring to glance at the faces of his friends.

"Sure thing," Jack says, already standing up.

Astrid coughs something that sounds like _whipped_.

* * *

"So, you've been sleeping around?" Jack asks Merida the day after he's back, his blue eyes fixated on the redhead's back as he enters the living room of her parents' house. He offers her a small smile when she turns, but that doesn't stop her from frowning.

Merida bristles. "What are yah doin' 'ere, Frost?" she asks accusingly.

"I came by your house to see your parents," Jack says effortlessly. "I mean, your parents basically love me. I'm pretty sure they'd want me to marry you if you didn't try to kill me every time when we were kids. That, and I'm pretty sure your mom thinks I'm gay."

Merida laughs at that. "Ah told 'er that, when were kids."

"...the fuck? Why would you do that, DunBroch?"

"Don' get pissy—it was tha only way she'd keep out of mah business."

"Your business with me, you mean?" Jack shoots her a lopsided grin.

Merida turns an indignant shade of red. "What d'ya want, Frost?"

"I want to know what's going on," Jack says. "You've been sleeping around?"

"It's jus' been a couple o' guys," Merida objects.

"But for you, guys are poisonous," Jack says, plunking himself down on the couch next to the murderous redhead. "You always said you'd always be faithful to one guy when we were teenagers."

"Well, ah also thought yah would be that guy when we were teenagers," Merida retorts. "What makes what ah do with guys yer business? Maybe ah want tah start livin' and stay single."

"So this is all just for sex?" Jack questions.

Merida huffs. "If ah say yes, will yeh leave?"

"I'm trying to understand this, DunBroch," Jack says, nudging her with his elbow. "C'mon, humor me. Why is Daddy's little girl, the rebellious but good-hearted teenager, suddenly into sleeping around?"

"Ah jus' want tah. Now get out o' mah house," Merida snaps.

Jack leans forward. "Did something happen when I left?" he asks seriously.

Merida looks angry now. "Ah said get _out_."

Finally, Jack does.

* * *

.

.

.

"Eww, why did Aunt Merida want to kiss a bunch of guys?" Sophie asks.

Jack softly replies, "Well...sometimes it helps people hide heartache."

"How?" Sophie demands.

Jack grins at her, forgetting the strange feeling of sadness he'd felt for a split second. "I'm not going to tell you," he chastises. "I don't want _you_ to go around kissing a bunch of guys too."

"Daddy! That's gross!" Sophie shrieks.

Jamie frowns at that too. "Yeah, _gross_," he echoes.

"You two are not romantics. Okay, on with the story..."

.

.

.

* * *

"You look beautiful, Astrid."

Astrid glances at Tooth, who stands beside her, gazing up at the taller girl in awe.

"Thanks," Astrid says after a beat. "I...think."

Tooth holds out Astrid's veil. "The finishing touch," she says, smiling. "Ready?"

Astrid is pretty sure she nods, but then again, she's having a damn hard time swallowing and is pretty sure her brain's malfunctioning. She's not even _nervous_, dammit, it's just that...well, Tooth keeps making these remarks, like how Astrid and Hiccup are so good together, and how _excited_ Astrid must be...

Astrid wishes Merida were here instead, mocking Hiccup and pretending that Astrid doesn't get nervous. But Merida's out with her latest conquest, and Tooth had volunteered, and okay, maybe Astrid's sort of growing fond of the girl (not that she'll tell Jack that).

"Sure," Astrid says simply, and Tooth pins the veil on.

"You're just so pretty," Tooth says, sighing wistfully. "Gosh, Hiccup's a lucky man."

Astrid stares in the mirror, seeing the made-up face and the curled bangs and isn't so sure. "Thanks for helping, Tooth," she says, finally. "I would've been lost without you."

Tooth beams. "I just love weddings," she admits. "I never get to help out much with any. In England all my friends were already married. It's nice to know here all of them aren't. At least, not yet."

So she and Tooth are friends? Astrid didn't know. But, oddly, she doesn't mind.

"Ready to get married?" Tooth asks cheerfully.

Astrid finds herself nodding. "I...guess so," she says quietly.

Tooth's brow furrows. "Astrid, are you okay?" she asks worriedly. "You're not"—she hesitates, almost fearing to ask—"having second thoughts...are you?"

"No. No, of course not," Astrid mutters. "It's just—I'm happy." She glances at the woman she doesn't recognize in the mirror and repeats, "I'm happy. That—that's new. I've never been happy. Except for with him. And now..." She sucks in a breath, sharp and cautious. "Now I'm marrying him."

"That's good, right? You love him," Tooth says.

"Yes. And he loves me too, for some damn reason," Astrid says, and suddenly she _laughs_, the sound a little harsh. "I'm a mess, Tooth. I don't know why he'd—why anyone'd—love me. I'm gonna hurt him. I'm—_God_, I'm such a fucking mess."

"No, you're not!" Tooth cries. "You're perfect for him! I—I can see it—"

Astrid's eyes widen. "Maybe I should go," she says. "There's a window—"

"_Astrid_. You're not escaping out a window."

"Fire escape?"

"You're getting _married_," Tooth counters, placing a hand on the nervous bride-to-be's arm. "Hiccup loves you. You love him. You two are meant to be together!"

Astrid huffs. "I bet he's trying to escape too," she mutters indignantly.

"I'm sure that's not true..."

* * *

.

.

.

"Was it true?" Jamie asks, interested.

"Of course it was true! Who would marry your Aunt Astrid without trying to escape?"

.

.

.

* * *

Hiccup and Astrid seal their marriage with a kiss.

As the church dissolves into clapping, Jack leans over to Tooth, who is sitting next to him, and whispers in her ear, "Ten bucks they divorce in two weeks."

"Twenty she punches him when they stop kissing," she whispers back.

"No way I'm dishing out a twenty for that. That's practically guranteed."

Astrid then punches Hiccup in the arm when they part.

"Whoo!" cheer both Jack and Tooth, grinning and laughing like loons, much to Hiccup's chagrin (and to Astrid's smug satisfaction). The two, accompanied by Merida, then head to greet the newlyweds.

"Congrats, you crazy kids," Jack says, smiling.

"You both looked great," Tooth interjects.

"And yah both didn' kill each other, so that's good," Merida says.

"...you guys suck," says Hiccup decidedly.

"That's invalid, because you love us." Jack nudges the groom good-naturedly. "Even though you're married, you're going to be fun, right? Go out and drink with me?"

"With you? No," Astrid answers for him.

"Geez, married ten seconds and you're already forcing him to do your bidding? I would've expected nothing less from you, Hofferson," Jack jokes.

Astrid flips him off.

* * *

The after-wedding party is when things get interesting.

Jack sits at a table next to Tooth, watching Merida flirt with the bartender. "I don't get it," he declares after a minute. "Why does she keep trying to pick up guys? It's not her. I don't like it."

"Maybe she just wants to have some fun, live a little," Tooth suggests.

"By sleeping around?" Jack says dubiously. "No, something's up."

Tooth gives a halfhearted laugh. "Look at you, playing the macho man figure role," she says. "What, your girlfriend didn't show up so you could shower her with attention?"

Jack stares, unsure if she intends her tone to come out as venomous as it does.

"Joking. I was joking," Tooth hurries to say, face flushing (she wasn't).

"Oh," Jack says sheepishly, looking embarrassed to have ever doubted his friend's intentions. "Well, yeah, Elsa couldn't come. Some family stuff came up."

"Ah," Tooth says, trying to pretend to be interested.

"What do you think of Elsa, anyway?" Jack blurts out.

Tooth shrugs. "Well, she's...nice," she says after a beat.

"Tooth, be honest," Jack implores. "You were joking, but...do you really think that I shower her with attention? You sounded kinda pissed when you said it, too..."

"Just having a bad day, that's all," Tooth protests. "Elsa's great, honestly. It's just that, uh, she seems a little...well, _cold_. And distant. It's like you're dating a tree."

Jack starts to snicker, and Tooth blushes red.

"Tree, huh?" he says.

"Bad analogy," Tooth says sheepishly.

Jack grins, shaking his head. "Alright, yeah, she's a little cold. But I'm sure that's because she's not good at showing emotion. She's probably shy or something."

"Could be," Tooth says, and she changes the subject. "So, where are the newlyweds?"

"You mean the poor soul and his tormentor? Dancing."

Tooth watches the two of them slow dancing on the floor. Hiccup's blushing red, stepping on Astrid's feet ever so often, but he keeps staring into her eyes, never once looking away. Astrid's always stern demeanor is soft, almost gentle, and she's looking at Hiccup as though she can't believe he's there.

Honestly, Tooth has never seen anything more beautiful.

"Hey, do _you_ want to?"

Tooth glances at Jack. "Sorry?"

"You want to dance?" Jack's standing, offering a pale, outstretched hand.

Tooth isn't sure. Jack's super confusing; he tells her he loves her (not truthfully, but still), then befriends her, and then starts dating another woman and makes her realize that okay, maybe Tooth likes him...and now, he keeps doing things like asking her about his girlfriend and asking Tooth to dance and it's just not _right_...

"Tooth. Earth to Tooth." Jack waves a hand in front of her face.

Tooth flushes. "Oh, sorry. I—I meant to say yes."

And she realizes...well, she means it.

* * *

Tooth is sitting in her bed, finally taking a day off, and is actually enjoying the quiet of her apartment without her rambunctious sisters running about; all four of them stayed in England, with her parents. It's actually okay living alone, and not as scary as Tooth had thought it would be—

RIIIIING.

Tooth groans and reaches for her cell phone, the calmness ruined. The caller ID flashes, and she realizes it's Jack. _Jack_. She hasn't spoken with him since Astrid and Hiccup's wedding, which was two weeks ago.

"Hello?"

"Tooth, hey." His voice is surprised. "I thought you'd be at work—I was going to leave you a voicemail. I didn't—are you off? Or on a break? I'm sorry. This is stupid. I'll—"

"Jack," Tooth interrupts. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he answers too quickly. "Everything's good. It's just—just something's happened. And I'm okay with it, you know? I'm—I'm good at this stuff. I move on easily, I—"

"_Jack_," says Tooth again, almost fearfully, "did Elsa break up with you?"

"I...how'd you know?"

Tooth smiles sadly. "Call it a hunch."

"She got back together with her ex-boyfriend, Hans or something, the one her sister was dating. It was messy and her sister hates her, but, she had her heart in the right place. You know I was just a rebound? She didn't—she didn't see us going far. I wish I'd noticed, I—I feel so _stupid_, Tooth, I just—"

"Do you want me to meet you at the bar, Jack?" Tooth asks softly.

"No. No, of course not. That's—that's a bad place to meet. Um. Can you come over or something? I'll text you my address, but I don't want this to be weird. Would it be weird?" Jack's voice is desperate and broken, nothing like the confident and teasing man Tooth has come to know.

"No, of course not. Text me and I'll be right over."

"Okay. Okay. Uh, Tooth?"

"Yeah?"

His voice becomes soft, almost tender. "Thank you."

So Tooth goes to his apartment. It's nicer than hers, and not too far away from her building, actually. When Jack opens the door, he looks like hell. Confident blue eyes are dull. Sexy-without-trying look is gone (he's in boxers and a T-shirt). It looks like he's been crying and has run his hands through his hair one too many times.

"Jack, you—you look terrible," Tooth blurts out.

"Just what I wanted to hear," says Jack weakly, trying to joke. He runs a hand through his white-blond hair, looking a bit sheepish. "Sorry for the mess, but come on in."

There isn't actually a mess. Tooth only sees a few empty pizza boxes littered about, and too many finished beer bottles, but other than that, the apartment's kept pretty well.

"Do you want to talk?" Tooth asks, sitting down on his couch.

Jack sits down next to her. "Not about...Elsa," he says after a while. "But God, I've been a jerk. I took her on a vacation and didn't even talk to you guys once. I guess I just want to say I'm sorry for everything..."

"Do you want me to call the others?" Tooth offers.

"No, don't." Jack quickly stands up. "I—I'd rather talk to you."

Tooth feels a strange feeling bloom in her stomach. "You...would?"

"Yeah." Jack sits back down, and he glances at Tooth. "Does that...make you feel weird?" he asks quietly, staring at her face with quiet blue eyes.

"I...no," she mumbles, eyes falling on his lips, which are just so _close_ and not...hers. Yet when his mouth falls on hers, soft and gentle, she doesn't have the heart to push him away.

* * *

.

.

.

"You kissed _Aunt Tooth_?" Jamie asks in amusement.

"Don't judge, Jamie. I was young," says Jack defensively.

"Ew," Sophie mutters.

.

.

.

* * *

"I—I kissed her, Astrid," Jack mutters.

Astrid's fuming silently, frowning at the guilty man. Because whether she'll admit it or not, she _likes_ being friends with Tooth, and so do the others, and if Jack's messed that up, she's going to kill him.

"You utter _ass_," Astrid growls, punching him hard.

Jack doesn't complain, even when it leaves his arm stinging. "I know, I know!" he cries, head hanging low. "She left after we kissed. She was weird about it, too. She kept banging into my furniture, trying to leave, and kept apologizing twenty different times for kissing me when _I_ was the one to kiss her..."

Astrid raises an eyebrow. "Sounds like she likes you."

"What? No. No, she wouldn't like me—she doesn't like relationships," Jack explains. "She's not ready for one, I mean. Plus, she'd certainly never like a guy like me..."

"Obviously, but you never know—Tooth might have low standards."

"...this is you getting back for all the jokes I'd tell Hiccup about you, isn't it?"

"Oh yeah."

* * *

"Let meh get this straight," Merida says skeptically, eyeing the friend seated across the table. "Yer girlfriend broke up with yah...an' yah started datin' her _sister_?"

Jack groans. "Well, don't say it like that. You make me sound bad."

"Yeh are," Merida tells him matter-of-factly. "What's yer girlfriend think?"

"Ex-girlfriend."

"What does she _think_, Frost?"

"...she, uh, didn't comment on it," Jack admits. "So I'm not sure."

Merida rolls her eyes. "Then yer freakin' over nothin'. Ah'm sure Elsa'll be fine with it; she did leave yah fer her sister's boyfriend, din't she? If she does mind, then she's a nasty hypocrite—"

"I kissed Tooth."

Merida raises an eyebrow at the sudden confession.

Jack rubs a hand over his face. "That's why I started dating Anna," he elaborates. "I went over to Elsa's to give her back any stuff she'd left, and Anna was there, and she reminds me of Tooth sometimes and I just asked her out on the spot."

"So yer datin' yer girlfriend's sister—"

"_Ex_. Ex-girlfriend."

"—'cause she reminds yah o' Tooth? That's low."

"You think I don't know that?" Jack groans. "Anna's going to hate me."

"If it makes yah feel better, ah would too."

"It doesn't."

"Ah know, but ah love tah tease yah," says Merida smugly, and she stands up to leave. "Ah have tah go now; mah Mum's expectin' me. Good luck with yer girlfriend's sister."

"_EX-GIRLFRIEND_!"

* * *

"You here to pick up the catch of the day?"

Merida stiffens, slowly turning to glare at her friend standing there. "Ah don' appreciate yer teasin', Hofferson," she says venomously, eyeing the blond. "What're yah doin' 'ere?"

"I'm getting a drink," Astrid answers. "I don't need to ask you the same question"—here, she eyes the revealing dress Merida's wearing—"'cause I'm pretty sure I already answered it."

Merida huffs indignantly. "What's with yer fascination with mah life?" she demands. "Ah don' date guys an' yah could care less, but then all o' a sudden yer interested when ah start sleepin' with a few."

"I'm going to be frank with you, DunBroch," Astrid says, taking a seat beside her. "You don't sleep around. In fact, you've detested all the guys you've ever met. Remember when Jack tried to set you up with Hiccup? You scared the guy away."

"Only because he kept askin' meh questions about mahself like ah cared tah talk to 'im," Merida says. "Yah can' complain, anyway—Hiccup ended up with yah, and yer scarier than meh by a long shot."

"That's not the point." Astrid gazes at the redhead, her blue eyes penetrating as if looking into her friend's soul. "I think you're doing it to hide your heartache. When did you start sleeping around, again? When Jack took Elsa on that vacation?"

Merida frowns. "Ah don' like what yer gettin' at, Astrid."

"That you're in love with Jack?" Astrid questions simply.

Merida gives a dry laugh. "Ah'm not in love with Frost. Ah can barely stand 'im."

"I know your history with him, Merida," Astrid says, her voice surprisingly gentle. "How you lost your virginity to him, how he told you he loved you, and how you said it back. The two of you planned to marry when you were done with college, right? But then you two broke up."

"That was tha _past_," Merida interrupts, voice accusatory.

"But it still hurts you," says Astrid quietly.

Merida pushes her chair back, scraping the tile floor or the bar. "Ah don' have tah tell yah _anythin'_, Hofferson," she says harshly, turning away. "Just—just stay out o' mah business."

* * *

Jack goes to Anna's apartment to get to know her better.

She's going to cook something, and he's bringing the wine. It's a pretty normal date, when you think about it, and Jack's just relieved that he hasn't managed to mess it up yet. Because really, he finds that, okay, Anna's a pretty nice person. Maybe he'll enjoy dating her.

When he knocks, Anna calls for him to come in. Jack does, stepping into the warm apartment gratefully; the weather's growing chiller with each passing day. It smells good inside, like chicken, and the whole apartment is really nice. There's a single sofa, but a couple of bookshelves on the walls, and a guitar resting against the small TV across from the sofa. It's simple and very homely; Jack likes it.

"Hey, you play guitar?" he says, picking up the instrument; he's always wanted to learn to play it. "That's awesome! I've always wanted to date a girl who plays guitar," he jokes.

Anna pokes her head into her room. "Actually, that's not mine—it's my cousin's," she says, looking a bit embarrassed for some reason. "I can't play."

"Oh." Jack quickly sets it back down. "That's cool, neither can I."

Anna smiles a little crookedly. "Do you mind waiting? Dinner's not done..."

"Nah, it's cool," Jack assures her, and Anna goes back into the kitchen. When she's gone, Jack ambles around the living room, glancing at everything. There are no pictures, save one of Elsa and Anna as kids, but it's hastily shoved behind a few books like it's forgotten. Actually, behind a lot of books.

Jack glances at some of the titles. _Pride and Prejudice, Little Women, Frankenstein_, and some other classics are interesting. There's also newer books, like _The Hunger Games_ series, and _Harry Potter_, but Jack's just enraptured that Anna likes to read. He loves to read too; in fact, the book _Frankenstein_ is one of his absolute favorites.

He picks the book up, thumbing through the worn pages, smiling to himself.

"Thanks for waiting, Jack!" Anna suddenly calls, entering the room with two dishes in hand. She sets them down on a kitchen table nearby the couch, then brings back two glasses.

"No problem," he replies, setting the book down and placing the wine he'd brought on the table. "I hope you don't mind, but I was looking through your books, and I found _Frankenstein_...it's actually one of my favorite books ever. I didn't know you liked reading."

Anna bites her lip. "Well, actually, I don't. Those books are all my cousin's."

"Oh," says Jack for the second time. "You live with your cousin?"

"Yeah, we room together," Anna says. "She recently moved here after her boyfriend's death, and since Elsa moved out of the apartment, I told her she could stay with me. She's out for tonight, though, so..." she hesitates, perhaps looking a bit cautious when sharing this bit of information.

Jack realizes why; he ends up staying the night.

He wakes up the next morning before Anna does, his body turned away from the aforementioned girl. He slips out of the bed and gets dressed, unsure of what he should do. Wake her? Leave? He usually doesn't go this fast with his relationships...

He decides to, at least, leave the room...which turns out to be a big problem, because when he stumbles into the living room (planning to read or something until Anna wakes up), he realizes he's not alone.

"Eeep!" comes a surprised squeak, and before Jack can turn and acknowledge who must be Anna's cousin, he feels a jolt of pain rattle his skull and his mind go painfully, horribly numb.

* * *

.

.

.

"What happened to you, Daddy?" asks Sophie, eyes wide.

"Well, see, kid, I did a very manly thing."

"What?"

"...Pass out."

.

.

.

* * *

"Oh my God, Jack!" shrieks a shrill voice.

Jack sleepily opens his eyes, and everything's hazy and unfamiliar. "Uggh...what happened?" he mumbles, licking his lips and finding them cracked and dry. He blinks, clearing his vision, and he sees Anna seated beside him.

"You were unconscious," Anna says, and she looks so damn _relieved_ to see he's awake. "Oh God, I'm just so glad you're awake! I was so afraid!" But even though she's relieved, she looks kind of awkward, and she slowly reaches for his hand and holds it tentatively.

Jack tries to smile, but it fades when he realizes where he is. "I'm in a hospital?"

"Yes, you were kind of hit in the back of the head with a frying pan..."

"Frying pan? You're shitting me," Jack says.

"No, that's just...Rapunzel's method, I guess," Anna says, nervously laughing.

Jack leans his head back on the hospital pillow, not bothering to register that Rapunzel must be the cousin's name. "Fuck," he says with a sigh. "I can feel it." He winces at the throbbing pain, but then finally finishes his smile and adds, "But hey, your cousin certainly made a hell of a first impression."

Anna manages to crack an apologetic smile at that.

* * *

"Ah've been thinkin', Hiccup."

Hiccup nods seriously, gaze on his redheaded friend. "And?"

"And ah think yer downrigh' insane."

Hiccup, expecting the answer, continues, "Astrid's got a point, Merida; you've only become so weird when you realized that Jack's been trying to settle down."

"Yah really think 'e is?" Merida asks, confused.

"Yeah," Hiccup says quietly, "I think...he is."

Merida frowns. "Well that doesn' matter. I don' love Frost."

"Then...you're in love with what he was," Hiccup offers softly.

Merida frowns harder. "Yer not makin' sense 'ere, Haddock."

"Think about it. You grew up thinking you and Jack would end up together. Now he's trying to end up with someone—for some reason—and you're over here, thinking you need to catch up. I, ah, don't mean to be rude, but I'm not sure your methods are really going to work..."

Merida huffs. "Alright, maybe ah did think that. So what?"

"So...it's time to move on, don't you think?" Hiccup asks quietly. "I know you love the idea of what Jack was to you. He was your first love, your first everything—I get that. But you don't really love him like that anymore, do you?"

"...Gettin' married made yah softer than usual."

"I'll take that as a yes."

* * *

Jack's supposed to love being with Anna.

Yes, he's supposed to. But then again, maybe he just loves being with her because, well, she reminds him so much of Tooth. They're both so scatter-minded, and tend to ramble during the strangest times, and both are so clumsy that Jack just can't help it; he wants Tooth. Again. But he'd messed up with her by kissing her; there's no way she'll ever want him.

But he breaks up with Anna anyway.

You know, just in case.

* * *

.

.

.

"Did Aunt Tooth ever go out with you?" Jamie asks, clearly skeptical.

Jack huffs at that. "What, you don't think she would've?"

"No," supplies Sophie ever-so-faithfully.

"Yeah, no," echoes Jamie.

"...Thanks for the support, kids. Glad to know how I stand in your eyes."

.

.

.

* * *

Two months later, Jack decides to ask Tooth out.

After getting to know her and truly realizing that, okay, he likes her a _lot_, he decides to do something about it. They're friends, so of course that has to come first, but getting to know Tooth more is just letting him learn adorable little things about her (like how she can't sing, how she loves dancing but isn't very good at it, and how much she enjoys movies, mostly old ones)...and it's driving Jack crazy.

He's never wanted a girl as much as now.

So now, he's doing to do it today. Right now he and Tooth are sitting in a café, waiting for their friends to get out of work. Jack sips from his iced latte and tries to work up the nerve to say something—anything—when Tooth speaks up.

"How are you not _cold_?" she asks, fingers wrapped around her whipped-cream topped hot chocolate to keep warm. "It's almost winter! How can you drink that?"

"How can you not enjoy a good iced latte?" Jack jokes.

Tooth shivers. "I can't even _imagine_ drinking that right now," she says, shaking her head and taking a lengthy sip of her chocolate. When she puts the mug down, her nose is dotted with whipped cream.

Jack starts to snicker.

"What? You find that so hard to believe?" Tooth questions.

Jack points to her nose. "You've got a little something..."

Tooth feels the tip of her nose and immediately flushes, grabbing a napkin and wiping off the whipped cream. "Oh my God, that's so embarrassing," she groans, face red.

"You kidding? You looked adorable," Jack teases.

Tooth's blush seems to grow darker, and she quickly drinks from her cup again lest she do something stupid like admit she likes him and that she really, really likes it when he calls her adorable.

Jack's phone buzzes. "Oh hey, they're on their way," he says, reading the text he's just recieved. "I should go get them drinks; they'll want them after walking in that chilly air."

"Ha! So you agree it's cold!"

"I never said it wasn't, Tooth," Jack says, smirking.

"...Oh."

Jack keeps the smirk on his face a few more seconds, but it fades away soon enough, his face going somber. "Uh, Tooth?" he starts hesitantly. "I've been thinking, and—well, I'm gonna sound like a total ass, but I really like you. And I know you don't want to be anything other than friends, but I figured I'd try and ask...would you like to go on a date sometime?"

Tooth's mouth falls open. "_What_?"

"...Fuck. I'm sorry. Let's just forget this ever happened, okay, and—"

But Tooth's breaking into a huge grin. "_Jack_! You still like me?" she cries.

"Well I thought it was obvious..."

Tooth then proceeds to throw her arms around her friend, and her lips fumble against his nose for a minute before they meet his confusedly quirked mouth. When he realizes what she means, however, he grins into the kiss, suddenly extremely happy.

* * *

Merida pays Astrid a visit at her job.

"Hofferson, we've got tah talk," Merida announces, striding in the room.

Astrid's been typing up some reports to send to her boss, but she raises her eyes from the computer screen to gaze at her redheaded friend. "I thought I was supposed to stay out of your business," she deadpans, and Merida winces.

"Alright, ah was a bitch. But so were yah, if yah din't notice," Merida says. "Guess what ah mean is ah'm sorry. Ah don' want yah tah think yah don' deserve tah know about mah life. Yer one of mah best friends; ah'm always going tah burden yah anyway with mah problems."

It takes a while, but Astrid cracks a smile. "You, coming here to apologize and fix a friendship, Dunbroch?" she asks, sounding positively scandalized. "World might as well be ending today."

Merida smiles a little too. "Are we good, then, lass?" she asks quietly.

"Of course we are, you crazy bitch," Astrid says, and she grins now, wide and in her usually mock-scary way. "Now, is this the part where you start telling me about all your newest problems?"

"No," Merida says flatly. "And fer the record, Astrid? Yer husband's an idiot."

"He come talk to you after I told him what happened between us?"

"Yep."

"Yeah, I figured as much..."

* * *

.

.

.

"Hurry up with the story, Daddy!" Sophie whines. "I'm tired!"

Jamie agrees, "Yeah—everything's just about your _friends_."

"Uh, would you two calm down? I'm getting to the end soon."

"But hurry _up_," Sophie complains again.

"Fine, I will! Just let me think about how to wrap this up, okay? Okay..."

.

.

.

* * *

"You two are a sickening couple," Astrid declares.

Jack scoffs, arm sliding off of Tooth's shoulders. "This coming from the married woman?" he asks, giving the blond a teasing grin before directing his attention back to his girlfriend.

"Yah know, ah think she's got a point," Merida agrees.

Tooth giggles. "Oh, come on, we're not _sickening_," she says, leaning against Jack's shoulder, to which he automatically wraps an arm around her middle.

"I think it's their honeymoon phase," Hiccup says. "You know, newly-dating couples have that, when they're attached to the hip and can't do anything without thinking about each other."

Jack snickers. "Let's be honest here, Hic—did you ever have that with _Astrid_?"

Astrid kicks him across the table, and Tooth pats Jack's hand sympathetically.

* * *

It's Hiccup's idea in the end—for the whole gang to go on a vacation together.

Tooth's all for it. Astrid swears it's because Jack had gone on a vacation with his previous girlfriend and Tooth is feeling territorial, but Jack thinks that Astrid thinks too much into it because he thinks it's a good idea too. Merida also agrees; she hasn't been on a vacation for a while. Astrid gives in eventually (but swears to Hiccup that if this is a backhanded way to have a honeymoon, he'd better just file for a divorce now).

The vacation is to a nice hotel out in the country. The place is really beautiful and quaint; Jack loves it. He enters the room he and Tooth are sharing, holding her small hand in his, and he breaks into a soft smile when he sees how nice everything is.

"It's beautiful," Tooth says.

Jack squeezes her hand. "It is," he agrees.

They put their stuff away and go out to meet the others. Hiccup's planned a whole day of activities for them; the first is to go golfing, which he loves (and everyone else hates). In short, that's how they end up on a golf course.

After about an hour of playing, it's clear no one is having as much success as Hiccup is; he's successfully placed every shot in the hole after a few hits. Astrid doesn't even try to hit the ball; she gets angry when Hiccup keeps winning, so she stops playing in a huff. In the first play, Merida hits her ball far away and doesn't bother going after it. Tooth manages to hold her own, but Jack gets bored easily and just tries to make Tooth mess up by whispering in her ear and poking her teasingly.

Astrid keeps rolling her eyes at the two of them.

"When they break up, it's going to be nasty," she remarks to Merida.

"Yah think they will?" Merida asks.

"I know they will," Astrid mutters, and for a second, she looks almost sorrowful.

Merida nods slowly, as if accepting it.

Tooth finally stops playing. "_Jack_, quit it!" she shrieks playfully.

"What?" Jack asks, laughing, hands splayed out innocently.

Tooth smacks him on the arm, and he picks her up by her waist and spins her around in circles, making her give a loud, excited scream. That's how they end the day: chasing each other around the golf court, ending with Tooth falling on top of Jack on the ground.

"Surrender?" Jack jokes, breathless.

Tooth gives a shaky, breathless laugh. "I'm pretty sure I win," she tells him, keeping him playfully pinned beneath her as she leans forward to kiss him.

By nightfall, everyone's back in their respective rooms. Jack's on the bed, eyes open and gazing at the ceiling, by the time midnight comes around. Tooth's asleep beside him, her breathing soft and regular, and Jack smiles at her sleeping form before he slips out of the bed and heads outside to get some air on the small patio each room has behind.

It's the summertime again, and even though Jack prefers the winter, he likes the warm air of the night during the summer; it's nice to sit out there and think. He does that now, on a lawn chair that's outside, staring out at the sky.

His mind goes to Tooth. So...he isn't sure about her yet. Obviously he's crazy about her, and he likes to think she feels the same way, but he doesn't know if it's going to be it, doesn't know if she's going to be the _one_...

"_Flower gleam and glow_..."

Jack starts, almost having a heart attack on the spot. "Holy shit," he breathes, and he jerks his head around, but Tooth's still asleep. He realizes the person next door (and the voice sounds female) must be out on her patio too, and he relaxes a bit, leaning back in his chair and hearing the singing voice in wonder.

"_Let your power shine, make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine_..."

Jack closes his eyes. The voice is really beautiful...

"_Heal what has been hurt, change the Fates' design; save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine...what once was mine_," finishes the singer, and the voice is so shaky and tear-filled Jack wonders what exactly has happened to this woman.

But he lets sleep finally overtake him, and the last thought he remembers is thinking that he's never heard someone so passionate about singing before...but also, no one as heartbroken either.

* * *

Astrid was right.

It's a terribly _nasty_ breakup.

Tooth opens the door at six in the morning on her day off, hair a little messed up as she'd been asleep, and squints at the boyfriend on her doorstep, pulling a robe tightly around her body. "_Jack_?" she says sleepily. "What are you doing here?"

Jack's mouth opens and shuts for a second. He doesn't even know why himself; he'd awoken and rushed there in an instant, but he realizes why all at once and he can't help it, he blurts out, "I love you."

Tooth blinks, mouth falling open just the slightest, but she stiffens a second later. "Jack, it's six in the _morning_," she says, voice a little accusatory. "What—what the hell are you doing?"

"I—I just told you I love you," Jack says, furrowing his brow. His mouth sets itself into a grim, almost fearful line, and he runs a hand through his hair. "Do you—do you not feel the same way?"

"We've been dating for a few months," Tooth says, looking a bit annoyed.

"Almost a year," Jack reminds her, confusion etching on his face. "It's hardly been a few months, and I mean...we've known each other even longer. Is there a problem with time for you?"

"Yes! You can't—you can't just fall in love so _quickly_," Tooth snaps.

"Uh, yeah, I can," Jack says, confused. "Why are you angry about that?"

"Because—because—" Tooth sucks in a breath. "_You don't love me_!"

Jack takes a step closer. "Tooth, c'mon, you know that's not true."

Tooth holds up a hand to stop him. "Don't," she says, and her voice is now unexplainably shaky; she doesn't know why, since she never allowed it to become so. "Love—it's not as easy as just _saying_ it. I don't—I'm not—"

"You don't love me," Jack says, the idea dawning on him all at once, like a hit in the gut. He staggers back a few steps, as if he'd been physically hit.

Tooth looks regretful now. "I'm—I'm sorry I got angry," she says, her voice apologetic. "I just didn't...well, I didn't want you to think that you were in love with me. The thing is, Jack...I'm scared. I don't know what love feels like. But I'm pretty sure that, well, I...I don't love you. But I like you," she hurries to say. "I really, really like you."

Jack swallows thickly, throat inexplicably tight. "Okay," he says after a beat. "I—I'm okay with that. Just know that I...well, I feel the way I do. I think I'll just...go now, or something."

"No, Jack." Tooth wraps her arms around her middle, looking almost tired now. "You just can't love me. You can't, okay? You think you do but you don't. So just...stop."

"Stop?" Jack repeats, incredulous. "You don't want me to love you?"

"Yes," Tooth affirms. "You can't love me."

Jack frowns, now slightly confused. "Hate to break it to you, but I'm pretty sure you can't decide if I can love you or not," he says, voice slowly growing a little harsher.

"Well _don't_ love me, then," Tooth says, and she rubs her temple with a sigh. "God, just listen, okay? This relationship isn't supposed to end up with us in love. I like you a lot, and I get jealous when you're with other women, but, I'm not going to fall in _love_ with you."

"Then what the hell are we doing this for?" Jack yells, suddenly very hurt. "You know all I've been wanting in my life is to find a woman that I can settle down with, or just a serious relationship at all! Why would you go out with me anyway?"

"Because I'm _selfish_!" Tooth cries, and there are tears streaking down her face now. "Because I _like_ you, okay, and I didn't want you to date anyone else!"

"Then why can't you love me?" Jack demands.

"Because I can't!" screams Tooth, tears dripping off her cheeks. "I can't love!"

"That's _bullshit_, Tooth! Everyone loves! Loving isn't just something a person isn't born with!" Jack says in frustration. "You can love if you'd just let yourself!"

"No, no I can't!" Tooth shoves at his chest harshly, but she's not strong and all she does is sway him a little. "I just can't! Don't you get it? Why don't you _understand_?"

"What's there to understand?" Jack asks angrily. "You've just been using me!"

"_Using_ you?" Tooth spits. "You think I've been _using_ you?"

"Why else would you just date me?" Jack asks. "Why date me when you knew that I—well, that I'm crazy about you? It's like leading me on, but...worse!"

"Every girl you date is _not_ going to be the love of your life!" Tooth snaps. "You're so fucking delusional! Just because you think you and I are going to end up married or something shitty like that doesn't mean you should get angry when I don't love you!"

"I'm not angry that you _don't_, I'm angry you won't let yourself!" Jack retorts. "And that you don't want to be more with me, okay? I'm angry you haven't even _considered_ us together in the future at all, because I _have_, and I thought you had, too!"

"Is this your sick way of proposing?" Tooth demands. "Is that it?"

Jack falters. "I—I hadn't planned to propose this soon, actually..."

"But you'd planned it?!"

"I...I'd thought about it, okay?" Jack admits. "Just...thought."

"Oh my God," Tooth groans. "Oh my God..." She runs her hands over her face, turning away from Jack and back into the doorway of her home. "Jack, you need to go. _Now_."

"I can't _go_! We have to talk about this! Tooth, we're in a _relationship_—"

"Well maybe I don't want to be in one anymore!" Tooth screams, and Jack's eyes widen.

"What?" he says. "You...want to break up?"

Tooth bites her lip and heads into her house, slamming the door behind her. Jack stares at her door dejectedly, eyes filled with angry tears when he realizes what her answer is.

* * *

Merida's sitting at the bar, drinking her scotch and wondering what other shit the world's going to throw at her. Just a month ago was the explosive breakup between Tooth and Jack; Merida hasn't seen Tooth since then. No one has. Their little group has been just the four of them again.

"Hey," comes a voice from behind her.

Merida turns to see Astrid. "Yah gonna keep creepin' on meh at bars, lass?" she asks.

"Of course," Astrid says, and she tries to smile, but it's weak.

Merida gestures for her to sit. "Ah'll order yah somethin'. What'll yah have?"

"Nothing."

Merida raises an eyebrow. "Nothin'? That don' sound like yah."

Astrid sighs. "Merida, I'm pregnant," she says bluntly, and with using her friend's first name, Merida knows that Astrid is feeling vulnerable as hell. "And...well, I don't know what to do."

"Hiccup don' know?" Merida asks.

Astrid shakes her head. "We didn't plan this," she says. "And...I'm scared."

"Well, er...let's talk," Merida suggests. "What exactly are yah afraid o'?"

"I'm not really afraid. Just not...ready," Astrid says pathetically.

"Well o' course not—yah haven't even though' about somethin' like this," Merida says. "Ah don' have any advice about kids, but ah do have this tah say: tell Hiccup. Ah bet yah anythin' he'll be o'er tha moon."

"You think?" Astrid looks a little better. "He...he does like kids."

"He loves 'em," Merida agrees. "An' he loves _yah_."

Astrid shrugs at that. "Maybe right now," she mutters. "We're married; he's _supposed_ to love me right now. But so many people get divorced so easily nowadays, and lots of fathers just don't want to _be_ fathers—"

"Astrid," Merida cuts her off. "He'll be happy. Ah know it."

Astrid bites her lip. "I should call him," she says.

"Yer not callin'. Get yer ass up and go see 'im," Merida demands.

Astrid gives a slow nod. "Right...right."

And then she's gone.

Merida takes a hearty gulp of her scotch. "Fuckin' terrible advice," she mumbles.

"I don't think it was terrible."

Merida almost jumps, head turning to glare at the woman sitting next to her. The woman, a green-eyed blond, gives Merida a sympathetic smile; she's watched the whole exchange.

"Sorry to be nosey," she says, "but I couldn't help but overhear."

"Yeah, ah guess Astrid an' meh are pretty loud sometimes," says Merida.

The woman just keeps the smile on her face. "I'm Rapunzel," she says, introducing herself. "I thought I'd just tell you that you didn't give terrible advice. Pregnant women...well, they just need to know that they're loved."

"An' ah suppose yah'd known," Merida says skeptically, eyeing the girl's body.

Rapunzel laughs. "No, I've never been pregnant," she says. "But my cousin is. Her boyfriend's always been a character, the way he's aways leaving and coming back. I mean, he even dated her sister once. But my cousin loves him, and he loves her too, and that's all she needs right now."

"Ah suppose yer happy for 'er, then?" Merida questions.

"Really happy." Rapunzel grins widely. "Are you happy for your...friend?"

"Ah guess," Merida says. "But ah dunno...it's a baby. Things'll change now."

"Well, everything changes," Rapunzel says, and she sighs deeply, sudden sorrow clouding her features. "One minute you've got something, and the next...well, it's gone."

"In't that tha truth," Merida agrees, and she's quiet for a second before glancing at Rapunzel, who is staring down at a drink in front of her. Merida pauses to think about it for a while, but she finally speaks up and says, "Ah'm Merida, by the way."

Rapunzel glances back at her, slowly beginning to smile.

* * *

"You, throw a baby shower?" Jack snorts.

Merida frowns at him. "Yah don' think ah can do it?"

"I think you don't even know what a baby shower _is_," Jack says, and he gets a punch in the gut for that. "_Ow_! You've been hanging out too much with Astrid," he complains, rubbing his side protectively.

"Ah wan' tah do somethin' nice fer our friends 'ere," Merida snaps.

"Yeah, alright, I got it," Jack says. "Just don't hit me again, would you?"

Merida rolls her eyes. "Ah'm not promisin' anythin'," she says.

Jack instantly makes a point of moving away. "Fine, let's throw a baby shower," he says. "You call Astrid's family, I'll tell Hiccup's. What do you want me to help with?"

"Get a cake," Merida says. "An' yah hafta do somethin' else too."

"What?"

"Invite Tooth."

Jack stiffens. "What? Hell no," he says.

"Astrid an' Hiccup miss 'er, Jack. Hell, _ah_ miss 'er. An' ah know yah do too," Merida says stubbornly. "Sure things din't work out between tha two o' yah, but ah know yah miss havin' 'er as a friend."

Jack sighs. "I do," he admits. "I know I fucked up with her, too. I was a total jerk; I shouldn't have gotten so angry with her when she told me she didn't love me. I mean...she doesn't owe me anything. Relationships aren't always supposed to end up in love, you know? And...I hate blaming her for that."

"So will yah do it or not?" Merida asks flatly.

"...you just live to make me look like an idiot, don't you?"

"O' course ah do, Frost—what kinda friend would ah be if I didn'?"

* * *

The baby shower ends up being a surprise one.

Astrid's touched (even if she doesn't show it and punches both Jack and Merida from keeping a secret from her). Hiccup looks surprised (and also kinda pissed, because Jack had broken into their home to do this).

Tooth doesn't show by the time the party's half over.

To be fair, Jack had only sent her a text to invite her, saying Hiccup and Astrid would like to see her there. He hadn't tried to contact her after that, and she never even responded to say if she would or wouldn't. Jack hasn't told Astrid or Hiccup he invited her; he figures it's better if he doesn't at all, since it's doutbful she'll show.

Astrid comes up beside him. "Merida tells me you bought the cake?"

Jack gives her a lopsided grin. "I did, and it's awesome," he says.

"Lord help me," Astrid grunts, and Jack laughs.

Merida walks over to them, offering Astrid a cup of lemonade. "Hiccup's bringin' out tha cake," she says. "Ah haven't seen it yet, but it had better be freakin' appropriate."

"You guys really have no faith in me?" Jack asks, gasping mockingly.

"Who would?" is Astrid's unapologetic reply.

Merida rolls her eyes. "Anyway, guys, ah have tah introduce yah two tah someone," she says, and she gestures to someone who's not there. "Wait...ah swear ah jus' saw Rapunzel. Hold on..." She trails off, glancing around.

"JAAAAAACK!" comes a sudden yell.

"Oh, hey, Hiccup must've found the cake," Jack says cheerfully.

Astrid shoots him a murderous look before heading to the kitchen.

"There she is! 'Ey, Rapunzel—"

Jack doesn't care to see who Merida is talking about, so he takes the cup of lemonade Astrid abandoned and is about to take a sip when suddenly he spots _Tooth_. Tooth is _here_, walking through the front door. Her hair's longer and her eyes more tired, but it's _her_, and suddenly all Jack can do is cross the room as quickly as he can to get to her.

"Tooth," he breathes, coming to a stop before her.

Tooth gives him a weak smile, tucking a long strand of colorful hair behind her ear. Her tan skin looks worn, and there appear to be bags under her eyes (which lack their violet contacts, leaving her eyes her usual brown).

"Hey, Jack," she says quietly. "Um, thanks for the invite."

"Well it was Merida's idea, but..." Jack trails off. "Do you—do you want to talk?"

"Um," Tooth says, eyes flickering around the room, "maybe after I say hi."

"Yeah. Yeah, of course," Jack hurries to say.

He takes Tooth to the kitchen. Astrid goes stiff when she sees her, and then all of a sudden she's tugging Tooth into her arms into an actual friendly _hug_, which is so unlike Astrid that Jack can't help but tease Hiccup that his wife might have plans to leave him sometime soon.

(Hiccup lets Astrid hit Jack for that comment.)

"I'm sorry," Tooth is saying, laughing through sudden tears. "I'm sorry I haven't spoken to you guys, to anyone. I've been alone and I—I hate it. I hate it!" She pauses to wipe her eye, smiling through laughs. "I missed you all so much."

"We missed yah too, lass," says a quiet voice, and Merida enters the kitchen.

Tooth sniffles, and she crosses the room to hug her too. "I'm sorry," she repeats. "I'm getting too damn emotional for this. It's just—I can't believe I missed all this."

"Yah din't miss everythin', though, and that's all that matters," Merida says.

"Yeah, there's still the cake," Jack offers.

Hiccup frowns at that. "A completely _inappropriate_ cake."

"What? It's G-rated," Jack complains, gesturing at the cake.

Tooth glances at it, curious, and immediately can't help but let a grin spread over her face when she sees the cake, styled after a wedding cake, but with a groom doll standing next to a small devil-styled doll and a small crib before them.

"Only you, Jack," she says, and she starts to laugh again.

Jack grins, laughing too, and the others can't help but join in.

Merida removes the devil doll and the groom doll, only leaving the crib, and then she carries the cake out of the kitchen. Hiccup takes Astrid's hand and leads her after Merida, smiling widely at his wife. Tooth lags behind, placing a soft hand on Jack's shoulder.

"Jack? Can we talk now?" she asks.

"Yeah, that'd be...great," Jack says slowly, and he leans against the kitchen fridge. "I—I don't really know where to start, Tooth, but let me just say that I am a total _asshole_. I shouldn't have accused you of using me. You just wanted to date me; you weren't looking for someone to go the distance with. I'm sorry for calling you out on that."

"Don't be sorry," Tooth hurries to say. "I—I was an asshole too. I knew you wanted to settle down, and I went out with you anyway, even when I knew we wouldn't work out. And I'm...sorry for never loving you like you wanted me to."

"You shouldn't have to be sorry for that," Jack says, shaking his head. "_God_, I was such an ass. I'm sorry for saying you wouldn't let yourself love me. I know that not every woman I love is going to love me like that. I shouldn't have been so mean to you about it."

Tooth gives him a sad smile. "I really did like you a lot, Jack," she says softly. "And I didn't know it at the time, but I _did_ love you. Just not in the way you wanted me to. Jack, you're one of my best friends. I love you like that—as a friend. I wish I could say I felt more, but..."

"No, you're fine," Jack says, and he suddenly pulls her into a tight hug, eyes inexplicably burning with sudden tears. "That's better than anything I could've wanted, Tooth. I just need you in my life again."

Tooth starts to sob into his shirt, but she's smiling and crying at the same time. "I really didn't count on crying this much," she complains, wiping at her eyes as she pulls out of Jack's embrace.

"Comes with being friends, I guess," Jack says, smirking as he wipes his own tears. "But if the others ask, I totally handled this by comforting you in a very manly, non-crying way."

"Yeah, _okay_," Tooth teases.

Jack laughs, then asks, "So, hey, want some cake?"

"Are you asking a _dentist_ if she wants something potentially teeth-damaging?"

"Uh-huh."

"...Yeah, I actually would."

* * *

.

.

.

"So did you still looooove Aunt Tooth?" Sophie teases.

"At the time? I thought I did," Jack answers.

Jamie groans loudly. "Daad, this is taking too long! It's not even _interesting_. Why can't you just tell us how you and Mom met already?" he whines.

"Not interesting?" Jack says, feigning hurt. "Sure, just keeping on wounding your poor old father—not like I gave you life or anything important like that."

"Daddy, you're not _old_," Sophie giggles.

"Thanks, kid. Good to know I'm not going over the hill yet."

.

.

.

* * *

"So, you haven't been going out on late nights anymore."

Merida groans, rolling over on her bed. "The fuck are yah doin', Hofferson?"

"I have a key," Astrid says, dangling Merida's spare key in front of the woman's face. "So I thought I'd break in, like you oh-so-kindly did for me last week."

"That was _Jack_, an' ah told 'im not tah."

"Whatever." Astrid pockets the key, fixing her blue eyes on Merida. "I just couldn't help but notice you've been texting a lot during nights, lately, and even hanging out with us. No new flings?"

"Ah'm movin' past all that," Merida says, sitting up and rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Ah guess ah've gotten tired o' it all. An' besides...ah met somebody. Ah'd like tah try somethin'...different from now on."

"You got a boyfriend?" Astrid says, surprised.

Merida shrugs. "Ah dunno. He's a bit o' a dork, but he's also really nice, an' he seems tah like mah fer some reason. So ah figure...well, ah should try this. See what happens."

Astrid smirks. "So no more one night stands?"

"None," Merida says. "Havin' a whole bunch o' sex wasn' even that fun."

Astrid chuckles. "Welcome to the real world, honey—we've been expecting you."

* * *

"Rapunzel! 'Ey, Rapunzel!"

Rapunzel turns around. "Oh, hey, Merida!" she says, waving enthusiastically. She sets down the frozen turkey she'd been picking up to go by Merida's side. "It's been a while!"

"Yah ran out at Hiccup an' Astrid's," Merida says. "Is everythin' alright?"

"Oh, yeah, of course! My cousin's boyfriend walked out on her, and she called me," Rapunzel says, and she sighs. "I—I never thought he'd do something like that. It horrified me, knowing he'd just walk out on her. We don't even know if he's ever coming back."

"Ah'm...sorry," Merida says quietly, trying to imagine if Hiccup did something like that to Astrid and finding it as horrible as she'd thought. "If that was mah cousin, he'd be a dead man."

Rapunzel laughs. "Funny, her sister's boyfriend thought the same thing," she says, amused. "He loves the two of them, I guess. He's like Elsa's brother now, and he doesn't take to it kindly that her heart's been broken."

"Hold up, _Elsa_?" Merida repeats.

Rapunzel pauses. "Yes. Is that weird?" she asks. "Her name?"

"Lass, yah have tha name Rapunzel. The name in't what's weird," Merida says. "Ah know someone named Elsa. Does she have really light blond hair? Works at a skatin' rink?"

"Yes, that's my cousin!" Rapunzel says, eyes lighting up. "How do you know her?"

"Mah friend used tah date 'er," Merida says. "She's tha pregnant one?"

"Yes, she is! Is she your friend?"

"Ah...barely know 'er," Merida admits.

"Oh." Rapunzel noticeably deflates. "Oh, hey, I'm sorry—I must be bothering you while you're shopping." She glances at Merida's mostly empty shopping cart before grabbing the handle of her own (full) one.

"Yer not a bother," Merida says. "Yah seem okay."

Rapunzel grins. "Good to know," she jokes. "Sorry about having to leave the party last time, but if you ever want to hang out again, I'm...well, I'm always available." She gives a self-deprecating half-laugh, half-sigh after she says this.

Merida just gives her a chuckle of her own. "Same 'ere," she says.

Rapunzel smiles at that.

* * *

"I love kids," Tooth blurts out.

Astrid raises an eyebrow. "You've said that for the past ten minutes, Tooth," she says, resting a hand on her now-prominent stomach. "If this is your way of trying to make me name my kid after you, forget it; Jack's already tried."

Tooth shakes her head. "Not _your_ kid," she says, but pauses. "Not that I wouldn't love your kid too. I mean, of course I am—he or she is your kid. I think there isn't a kid I _wouldn't_ love..."

"Tooth," Astrid says.

"...Right, getting off track." Tooth sighs. "I just—you're so happy, Astrid. You and Hiccup. And Merida's started dating, and she's happy too. Even Jack's positive he's going to find the love of his life someday."

"Which you don't want to be, right?" Astrid asks, because if there's one thing her life can do without, it's the damn fucked-up relationship between Tooth and Jack.

"Of course not," Tooth hurries to say. "I love him. I can say that without a doubt. I just don't want to be with him in that way anymore—I probably never did. I...I don't think I want to be with _anyone_ like that, Astrid."

"...Bitch, I have no idea where you're headed with this."

Tooth exhales deeply. "I...I want to start a family," she says. "I want..._kids_."

"Kids," repeats Astrid slowly.

Tooth blushes. "It's stupid," she says softly. "But I've always had to deal with them, being a children's doctor, and being so close to them makes me want some of my own. Even if I don't want to find someone to marry, I know I want kids."

"So if you want a kid...how're you gonna get one? Trick a guy?"

"Sperm donors are a thing, you know," Tooth says defensively, but she's grinning because Astrid's joking. "But I don't know about that. I was thinking adoption."

"You are the weirdest person I know," Astrid says, staring at her friend for a prolonged minute. "You are just too fucking...you." Astrid then pulls the smaller girl into her arms. "Don't stop being you."

"...Is this a hormonal thing you're doing because you're pregnant?"

"Hmm. Tooth?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut the fuck up."

* * *

The cold is distracting.

It's a bad kind of cold, one that hits all at once and just seeps into clothes and touches skin in a clammy, body-wracking way. Jack normally wouldn't mind this so much had he not been forced to rush out of his house and out into this cold without so much as a jacket (or his mind, which is half-asleep).

"Really, Hofferson?" he bites out into the phone, his breath coming out in white puffs as he enters his car and hurriedly starts the engine. "You just had to go into labor at one in the morning?"

"I'm not even sure I a—a_gh_!"

"Fuck," Jack swears. "Don't start squeezing that thing out of you yet! I'm still home."

"You have no fucking idea how labor works, do y—_AGH_!"

Jack ends the call, slamming on the gas pedal of his car and leaving his driveway with a squeal. Of all nights for Hiccup to be freaking wasted after going to a bar with Merida (and for Merida to get wasted too). Now, Jack's off to rush Astrid to the hospital while Tooth (who they had to wake up too) goes to pick up the drunkards.

His phone starts to ring again. It's Tooth.

"Hello?" Jack grunts into the phone.

"Heeey, Jack!" comes the lazy voice that is _not_ Tooth's. "How've you beeeen?"

Jack furrows a brow as he speeds through a yellow light. "_Hiccup_?"

"Whaaaa? How'd you know I have the hiccups?"

"Hiccup, put Tooth on the line," Jack says, turning into Astrid's driveway.

"Who?"

Jack groans. Luckily, there's a rustling sound from Tooth's line a second later, like the phone's been taken away from Hiccup. After a beat or two, Tooth finally says, "Jack?"

"Tooth, what the hell?" Jack says as he exits the car, slamming the door behind him.

"He insisted on calling you," Tooth says.

"Yeah, and he's also drunk off his ass! Are you taking them home?"

"Just tell me the hospital name. I'll take them there."

"They're _drunk_."

"Yeah, well, one of them's about to become a father, and so help me, Jack Frost, if you get in the way of Hiccup welcoming his daughter into the world than I'm going to make sure you _leave it_! So tell me the name of the hospital!"

"...I'll text you the details."

"Okay, bye!" Tooth says sweetly before hanging up.

Jack stares at his phone a few seconds before shaking his head and going to Astrid's door, knocking. As soon as his fist hits the door, Astrid yanks it open. She's a sight to behold; her blond hair is mussed, her blue eyes wide and panicked, and her mouth set in a pained grimace.

"_Finally_," she half-gasps, half-growls.

"I don't exactly live next door," Jack says defensively. "Okay, so, isn't there a bag or something you should have packed to take with you, or does that just happen in the movies?"

"It's upstairs," Astrid grunts. "Can—can you get it?"

Jack groans. "Here," he says, passing her his car keys. "Get into the car. I'll get the bag and lock up your place, okay? And, uh—just breathe, or something. That's what pregnant people do in the movies. I think."

Astrid swears under her breath as she hobbles to the car.

After Jack grabs the bag, locks up, and texts Tooth the details, he hurries back to his car. As he jumps into the driver's seat and immediately peels away from the driveway, he shoots a panicked look to Astrid, who is gripping the sides of her seat and moaning.

"Er, are you—breathing?" Jack asks uncomfortably.

"Shut—up—" Astrid says, forcing the words between her clenched teeth.

"Well gee, I was just asking," Jack mutters as he continues the time he reaches the hospital, Astrid is hyperventilating.

"Where's Hiccup?" she asks worriedly.

"I don't know—probably with Tooth," he says. "He's coming, though."

"He is?" Astrid gasps as a pain hits her all at once, taking her breath away.

"Yes," Jack says. "So let's get you out of here to have a baby, okay?"

"Oka—_AAAAGH_!"

The labor takes a good fifteen hours, which the midwife says is actually pretty good for a woman's first time having a child (though Jack mutters under his breath at this, because his probably broken fingers disagree).

Hiccup's fingers are spared the agony, because while Astrid clutched Jack's in total pain during those terrible fifteen hours, he wasn't let in to the delivery room when the staff saw his extremely inebriated state. In fact, they wouldn't even let him and Merida stay to wait it out, either, so Tooth took them to her place to crash for the night before she came back to help in the delivery.

When it's done, Tooth falls into a chair, tired, as the midwife raises the crying child and takes her off to get cleaned. Jack's pretty exhausted too as he finally pries his fingers out of Astrid's iron grip, looking at his purple fingers with a sigh. Astrid, though, just heaves out a great big sigh and then groans at the pain that follows.

"How are you feeling?" Tooth pants.

"Like hell," Astrid says, and she groans again. "Like fucking hell."

"You were great, though," Tooth says, and she takes a cold wet cloth and wipes the beads of sweat off Astrid's forehead. "And you delivered a healthy baby girl."

"And broke my fingers in the process," Jack mutters.

"Yeah...I'm a mom now, aren't I?" Astrid asks sleepily. "Where is she?"

"They're bringing her back," Tooth says, looking towards the midwife. "She's so tiny and pink and—I think she has freckles. I'm not entirely sure she does, but I'm pretty sure I saw freckles."

"Freckles?" Astrid almost perks up. "Like Hiccup."

"Exactly like him." Tooth gives her a smile. "He's going to be thrilled."

Astrid closes her eyes. "I'm going to kick his ass when I see him again."

"Me too," Jack says, frowning at his poor fingers that have taken Hiccup's fate.

The midwife lays the baby into Astrid's arms, and a quiet, almost pensive look crosses the new mother's face. Then, replacing the pained grimace she still wore, a soft smile slides across Astrid's face and she tentatively strokes her baby's head.

"She's beautiful," she says, finally. "She—" She glances up, and there are tears in her blue eyes as her gaze falls on that of two of her best friends. "She's beautiful. And she's—she's mine. Mine and Hiccup's."

Tooth's crying now, too. "She really is beautiful," she says, and she gives off a little laugh as she gazes down at the baby's face. "What are you naming her?"

"Valka, after Hiccup's mom," Astrid says.

"Hi, Valka," Tooth whispers, waving at the child.

Jack glances at the baby himself. "Watch out, kid," he says. "You've got one hell of a mother and one really awkward father. But don't worry—you still have me, your cool uncle."

"And your amazing aunt," Tooth interjects.

"And your mediocre aunt," Jack corrects.

Astrid cuts them off. "You're both lame-asses," she says matter-of-factly.

Tooth crosses her arms, trying to be stern but letting a carefree smile spread over her lips. "Your kid's first word is gonna be a cuss word," she warns playfully.

"Actually, I'm planning that," Astrid says nonchalantly. "Hiccup'll be so pissed."

"That your way of getting back at him for this?" Jack snickers.

"Fuck yeah."

* * *

Hiccup's a natural father.

Alright, so natural is a bit of a stretch. He is, at first, awkward, but they expect nothing else from the most awkward human being on the planet. But after he gets past the whole babies-actually-do-keep-their-parents-up-all-night-and-that's-not-just-a-movie-thing and that babies poop...a _lot_...he's a natural.

And since it hurts Astrid to move a whole lot, Hiccup's had to do a lot more. He's always changing diapers—though he does complain about that to Astrid—and doing other household chores Astrid used to do before (which is basically just sweeping and mopping, because he does all other chores).

However, their friends are also always visiting to help, too.

Tooth frequents the house a whole lot. There, she fusses over baby Valka whenever she does, always cooing over the infant and kissing her little cheek whenever she can. She helps Hiccup change diapers and even with a little housework, insisting that new parents need all the help they can get.

Jack stops by more than often too, and he won't admit it, but his heart softens whenever he sees the redheaded three-month-old. He doesn't try to help with much, per se, but he does like to carry the baby whenever he comes, with helps a little when Hiccup has to do other chores and Astrid wants to sleep.

Even Merida stops by. She lets the baby play with her red curls if Valka's little hand ever wanders in that direction, and even talks to her in baby talk (which no one other than Hiccup has caught her doing, but Hiccup swears it happened). Though she hates housework, she does like to help Hiccup occasionally, even though she stays more with Astrid than with him.

"She looks a lot like you, buddy," Jack says one day out of the 's sitting next to Merida, arm splayed over the couch in exhaustion as he nurses a beer with his other. "You think?" he asks, smiling softly as he glances at his daughter in Tooth's arms.

"Unfortunately," Astrid calls tiredly, her weak voice carrying from her bedroom.

"Aw, she feels left out," Jack says and calls, "Hey, Astrid, want us to go to you?"

"Fuck off, I'm trying to sleep!"

"No would've been an okay answer, you know," huffs Jack.

Hiccup laughs, shaking his head. "She's been sleeping on and off," he comments. "She'll be out like a light in a few minutes if we go in there anyway. She sleeps whenever the baby's up."

"And lucky for us the baby is," Tooth coos, smiling at the little girl, who stares up blankly at her before curling her little fingers around the finger Tooth places onto her small palm.

* * *

.

.

.

"Hey, that's Valka!" Sophie exclaims.

"Yeah, hard to believe she was a baby once, huh?" Jack says fondly.

Jamie makes a point of giving a loud huff.

Jack glances at his son. "You okay there? Your face is all red."

"It's because Jamie looooves Valka!" Sophie calls out, giggling.

Jamie turns an even deeper shade of red. "I do not!" he cries. "Sophie's lying!"

"Isn't she a little old for you, Jamie?" Jack teases.

Jamie pulls his blanket over his head.

.

.

.

* * *

"I heard back from an agency," Tooth blurts out.

Merida and Jack, both seated at the bar, turn to face their friend.

"Yer adoption agency?" Merida asks.

Tooth nods, and suddenly, they see the tears that outline her eyes.

Jack's the first one on his feet, and he tugs Tooth into his arms, her warm body a contrast to his colder one. "So, are those sad tears, or happy ones?" he asks quietly.

Tooth starts to laugh, pulling him tighter against her body. "They're happy," she promises. "The agency responded yesterday, and—and I'm going to be a mom."

"Yah _are_?" Merida says shrilly, and she shoves Jack out of the way to hug Tooth herself. "Well congratulations, lass!" she exclaims. "Yer going tah be a great mum."

Tooth hugs back, tears thinning slightly as she whispers, "I really hope so..."

* * *

"Hi, Merida!" says Rapunzel cheerfully.

Merida gives her a smile as she sits down by the bubbly blond. "Hey," she says, cautiously glancing around. "Ah'm not late, am ah? Ah thought this started at twelve..."

"Oh, no, you're right on time," Rapunzel tells her assuredly. "Everyone's early."

"Ah can see that," Merida mumbles, taking in the packed auditorium.

Rapunzel bounces up excitedly in her seat. "I love cheerleading," she tells Merida. "I used to do it in high school, and even through my first two years of college."

"Why'd yah stop?" Merida questions.

Rapunzel freezes, her body gone stiff. "Um...something happened," she says quietly, and she shakes her head as if getting rid of the memory. "But that's old news," she says cheerfully, and she gives a pained smile. "It doesn't matter anymore."

* * *

But it used to matter.

It still does, really.

Because Rapunzel remembers what happened just after sophomore year of college. Her birthday fell on the weekend after college finals were done, and she prepared, as usual, to celebrate with her friends, cousins, and boyfriend.

They enter to a bar they'd never been to before, Rapunzel and her friends Mavis, Violet, and her cousins Anna and Elsa (even if Anna isn't old enough to drink yet; she still has a year to go). But Rapunzel is turning twenty-one, and the others, Flynn included, think a bar is the perfect place to celebrate that.

But Flynn isn't here yet.

Mavis echoes the thought. "Hey, Rapunzel, where's Flynn?"

"He called me and said he'd be late," Rapunzel says, and she gives a playful laugh. "That's the code for he hasn't bought me a present yet, as usual."

"We wouldn't expect anything less from him, honestly," Elsa laugh, and as if on cue, Rapunzel's phone rings.

"That's probably him," Rapunzel says, and she exits the bar to take the call. "Okay, you are _so_ late," she starts laughingly, but her wide smile fades when she hears who is really on the line. "Yes, this is she..."

* * *

Mavis knocks on the door. "Knock, knock," she says. "You there, Rapunzel?"

There is no answer, as usual.

Violet leans against the wall, across from Rapunzel's apartment door. "She's not going to answer you, is she?" she asks, bored, her raven-black hair falling over her right eye as it usually does. "This is worse than when Elsa never opened her bedroom door to Anna when they were kids."

"Yes, well, Elsa never opened the door because Anna kept trying to make her play with her, and Elsa was no fun back then," Mavis says as she knocks again.

"Actually, I think Elsa just had the chicken pox..."

"Violet, are you going to help, or not?" Mavis snaps.

Violet sighs. "What's the use? She's heartbroken, Mavis. I don't know about you, but if the love of my life died two weeks ago, I wouldn't exactly want to see people either."

"But we need to help her," Mavis says quietly. "We owe her that. You saw Rapunzel at the funeral—I've never seen those green eyes so empty, or that bright smile ever gone from her face..."

"What is this, a movie where we cheesily describe the protagonist's features?" Violet asks tiredly. "She doesn't need us, Mave. She needs time alone, to mourn Flynn like she wants to."

Mavis gives a sigh of her own, and she leans against the wall too. "It doesn't feel like Flynn's gone," she admits. "And I mean, did you know his real name was Eugene? I didn't even know that."

"Well, Rapunzel did," Violet says, shrugging. "We only knew him as her boyfriend."

"He did like the name Flynn," Mavis says. "I wonder why he did..."

"Flynn Rider was the name of his childhood hero," a quiet voice chimes in.

Mavis and Violet glance up in surprise. Her door opened, Rapunzel stands before them, and she offers the two a weak smile. With a trembling, pale hand, she rubs at her tired green eyes and steps outside, finally leaving her apartment.

"Little Eugene Fitzherbert loved the story of Robin Hood-type hero Flynnigan Rider," Rapunzel says, and she actually gives a weak laugh. "It became his nickname, the name Flynn. He stuck with it forever; he didn't like people knowing his name was Eugene."

Mavis slowly walked over to Rapunzel, placing two tentative hands on her waist.

"He...he didn't even want to tell me, when we were just friends," Rapunzel says, sniffling. "But I always liked Eugene better, and I told him that. D-do you know what he said?" She starts to smile, tears now streaking down her cheeks. "He told me...'Blondie, you're one of a kind'. And he kissed me...that was our first kiss."

Mavis envelops her friend into a hug, which Violet (begrudgingly) joins.

And Rapunzel...she finally lets herself forget Flynn, if only for a second.

* * *

.

.

.

"I know that story!" Sophie shrieks. "That's from the book _The Tales of Flynnigan Rider_, isn't it, Daddy? Mommy reads it to us all the time!"

"Exactly," Jack says, tapping his daughter's nose. "Good to see you're listening and catching all my easter eggs, Soph." This he punctuates with a playful wink.

"But it's not Easter, Daddy," Sophie says cluelessly.

"...Right, anyway, I'll just continue."

.

.

.

* * *

"Wow. You've really...handled things well," Anna says weakly.

Rapunzel, who is busy clearing away a few of her many scattered painted canvases, blushes. "I know it's a bit much," she mutters, eyes lingering on one of particular that is just a simple taxi car, one with flames leaping out the windows and the air around it thick with black swirls of smoke.

"A bit much? Rapunzel, this is more depressing than the funeral."

Rapunzel doesn't remember much about the funeral, just that the sun was shining when it shouldn't have been, and that there was no second when she was there that tears did not cloud her eyes.

"Painting is how I get my emotions out," Rapunzel says, shrugging, and she hesitantly gathers more canvases, this time her gaze lingering on one of just Flynn, unharmed and smiling back at her. "I...I know it's unhealthy, and kind of weird, but, it's...me."

"Oh, Rapunzel...I don't want you to change," Anna says, and she gives her cousin a sad smile. "It's just good that you're getting rid of these. It's better if you're selling the place, anyway."

"Yeah, I guess." Rapunzel forces a smile. "I just...don't know where I'll stay."

"With me," Anna blurts. "I mean, Elsa's moving out, so..."

Rapunzel thinks about this a second. "Yeah, okay. I'd...I'd like that."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

* * *

"That looks great, Rapunzel," Elsa calls warmly.

Rapunzel pushes a few strands of flyaway hair out of her face. "Oh, gosh, Elsa, is it dinnertime already?" she cries, setting down the paintbrush in her hand and messily wiping her hands on her worn jeans.

Elsa closes the apartment room door behind her. "Yes, but don't worry, you keep painting!" she says as she crosses the room to enter the kitchen. "I said I'd do the cooking, didn't I?"

"I'm still going to help though," Rapunzel challenges playfully, tying her long hair into a quick ponytail as she heads into the kitchen herself. "I'll just wash my hands first..." she trails off, glancing at her paint-splattered hands. "Er, or maybe shower..."

"You go; I've got this," Elsa says kindly. "And, um," she says as Rapunzel thanks her and turns to leave, "I...I wanted to ask if, you know..." Elsa trails off, unable to finish.

Rapunzel gives her an apologetic smile. "Sorry, no, Anna's not joining us."

Anna hadn't for a while now, not after Elsa got back together with Hans. Though Rapunzel did halfheartedly remind her cousin Hans was just using her to get Elsa jealous—much like Elsa did with a random guy who had asked her out—Anna couldn't be consoled, and she refused to talk to Elsa.

"I wish she'd talk to me," Elsa says with a sigh. "Though at this point it seems unlikely. I mean, we've had our spats before, but we've never fought like this."

"She'll talk to you. You two are sisters, remember?" Rapunzel reminds her.

"Doesn't feel like it, sometimes," Elsa says grimly, and she shakes her head to herself before she starts to wash an array of vegetables for their dinner, leaving Rapunzel to go take her shower.

* * *

"You're _what_?" Elsa asks shrilly.

Rapunzel winces at the loud sound. "Elsa..." she starts, but Anna interrupts.

"That's right, I'm dating Jack," Anna says, chin raised defiantly. "You know, the guy you were stringing along while making Hans jealous? Yeah, how does it feel, to have a guy taken from you?"

Elsa grits her teeth. "I could care less about Jack," she says, "but _you_ have taken this too far. You're trying to take revenge on me, and that is _not you_, Anna."

"And what do you know about me?" Anna demands. "All _you_ know is how to shut people out! Who was the one who never liked to open your door to me when we were kids?"

"Oh my God, LET IT GO! _I had the chicken pox_!"

Anna frowns. "I'm still dating Jack," she says childishly.

"Fine, see if I care," Elsa says. "You'll be wasting your time, not mine. And for the record—Jack's a respectable guy. He deserves a lot more than being used...again."

Rapunzel glances between the two sisters. "Um, so is everything good, or—"

"We're fine, Rapunzel," Elsa says.

"We're not good," Anna says at the same time.

The two glare daggers at each other before, finally, Elsa leaves the apartment at least a full minute later. It's not a pretty sight, either, when the slightly red-faced young woman storms out, slamming the apartment door harshly behind her.

"Finally," Anna mutters when she's gone.

Rapunzel places a gentle hand on Anna's shoulder. "You know, Elsa didn't get back with Hans to spite you," she reminds her. "She loves him, but she loves you more. I doubt she'll forget that."

Anna just sighs. "Rapunzel, I'm done with this. I just want to be alone."

"Okay." Rapunzel doesn't press. "I'm here if you need me, okay?"

Anna doesn't bother responding.

* * *

"Jack broke up with me."

Rapunzel glances up from the computer on her lap, momentarily forgetting the iTunes library she'd been browsing. "Oh, Anna, I'm so sorry," she says sympathetically, standing up to hug her cousin.

Anna shrugs. "No, don't be. I'm okay," she says. "It was a friendly breakup. Besides, I can see he's hung up on one of his friends. He deserves her; I was just using him, after all."

Rapunzel still tugs her into a hug anyway. "Well, that's good," she says, but there's something that's bugging her that compels her to ask, "So, uh, this Jack guy...would he happen to be the guy I almost killed?"

Anna laughs. "You didn't almost kill him; you just knocked him out."

"Because I thought he was a thief!"

"Yeah, I know. He thought it was pretty weird, the way you knocked him out with a frying pan," Anna says, smiling at the memory. "He was a nice guy. You know, he would've been the perfect guy for you if he wasn't so hung up on his friend."

"For me? Why would you say that?" Rapunzel asks playfully, sitting back down on the couch. She isn't looking for a new guy—not by a long shot—but she does like to humor Anna.

"I don't know. He just came to the apartment and was all impressed by your books and guitar and stuff that only you like. It's like the two of you were meant for each other," Anna says, and she sighs. "Oh, can you imagine how romantic that would be?"

Rapunzel just gives her a weak smile and turns on her computer again.

* * *

"Hi, Eugene," says Rapunzel quietly as she sits down by his gravestone. She frequents the place too much, it seems; the grass where she sits is worn down and less alive than the grass around it.

She slowly places a hand on the gravestone, as if he's somehow going to be comforted by the touch, even six feet underground. She strokes the cold marble comfortingly as she starts to speak, catching him up on everything that's happened lately, even when her voice sounds too weak and empty in the vast graveyard.

"Anna met someone. His name is Kristoff and he adores her. She and Elsa made up, too; Kristoff really likes Elsa. Weirdly enough, Anna met him at the skating rink Elsa works at; he's the one in charge of making sure the ice is kept in good shape for the skaters."

Just not hearing his voice, as usual, makes something start up in Rapunzel's heart. It's the same dull ache that comes with knowing he's gone, though it's not as bad as when he first died. Oh, remembering the first few weeks after he died are so terribly _painful_.

Everything was a blur of despair and black paint. Rapunzel remembers how, just after the hospital announced Flynn dead, she flew home and immediately started to paint. Black swirls of smoke were all she focused on, swirling around the shadow of Flynn's body in the car he'd died in, the paint messily blurred by the amount of tears that had splattered on it.

Painting was her escape, and death her tormenter. Rapunzel remembers how often she would get up in the morning only to paint up until the night began, often missing meals and never going to work. Eventually she quit her dead-end job of being a business man's secretary; it wasn't the right place for her.

For a long time, Rapunzel called Flynn's phone obsessively. She'd get the usual ringtone ("Hey, this is Flynn, and I'm probably sleeping"), but oh, _God_, she was desperate for his voice. Sometimes she'd even talk back to it when she was drunk, saying things like "Wake _up_, Eugene, it's late", "pick up your phone, dammit!", or "No! Answer me! I need you!"

Flynn's parents took the liberty of canceling the phone plan after one-too-many voicemails (two hundred and sixty-seven to be exact). That left Rapunzel with nothing but a cloud of dark, twisted feeling hovering over her head, waking her up at two in the morning to reach for Flynn's warm body beside her in vain, or making her order enough food for two every night before remembering she was alone now, that she needed food for only one.

It was a terrible time, but slowly, Rapunzel came to her senses. With the help of her two best friends and her cousins, she finally came to understand what she was doing wasn't healthy. Anna helped her get rid of her paintings. Mavis and Violet took her out more often. Elsa would start having dinner with her to make her feel less lonely.

She isn't over Flynn.

She might never be.

But once in a while, it's nice to forget.

"I miss you," Rapunzel whispers to the grave. "I really, really miss you."

This time, when there's no answer, Rapunzel just closes her eyes and breathes.

* * *

"Hey, 'Punzel, I've been thinking," Mavis starts hesitantly.

"Hmm?" Rapunzel hums absentmindedly as she continues her graceful movements, mirroring the yoga instructor on the TV screen. "About what?"

"Quitting yoga?" Violet asks hopefully from her position on the floor (she'd fallen over during the first pose and spent the remaining time complaining about the poses she wasn't even doing).

"_No_," Mavis says, shooting Violet a look to tell her to shut up. "I was just clearing out the some old stuff from my storage unit and I found my old amps and stuff. They're still in great condition, and I even have the microphones, too..."

"Great, she's becoming a salesperson," Violet mumbles.

"We should get the band back together," Mavis finishes, shooting Violet a perfect copy of her earlier look she'd sent her. "I mean, I know Vi has her drum set, and I see your guitar around here too..."

Rapunzel abruptly stumbles forward, her chin hitting the floor with a pained _oof_. She quickly pushes herself up into a sitting position, gingerly rubbing her jaw as her green eyes, wide and dark in contrast to her blanched skin, stare at Mavis.

Violet looks surprised too; her large eyes are wider than usual, and her usual bored, thin line of lips slightly open in the closest she can come to full-out gaping.

"Get—get the band back together?" Rapunzel asks faintly. "I—I don't know."

_I don''t know because Flynn isn't here anymore._

Mavis hesitates, her voice meek as she finally starts, "I know Flynn's—"

Rapunzel goes paler, if that is possible, because it still _hurts so damn much_, even now when she's trying to forget. "It's—it's okay, Mavis," she says quietly, but her voice betrays her, cracking on the last word. "He's gone. You don't have to baby me."

Violet's full-out gaping now. She isn't used to Mavis and Rapunzel mentioning Flynn, let alone discussing something that would acknowledge his death (Flynn having been the singer of their band).

"I'm not trying to baby you," Mavis hurries to say. "I just don't want to make you uncomfortable; there's a difference." She waits a few seconds before continuing, "If you don't want to..."

"Wait," Rapunzel blurts. "I...I just don't...know. Not yet."

"We'll wait as long as you need," Mavis promises.

Violet has stopped gaping, but now she just shakes her head, ebony locks of hair swishing about in its usual manner—falling over her right eye. "What's the real reason you're bringing this up, Mavis?" she asks bluntly.

"There's no other reason. Why would there be an other reason?" Mavis laughs nervously. "I mean, how can there be _any_ reason other than that I found my old stuff and thought about our band? There's no other reason. You're crazy, Vi."

Rapunzel cracks a small smile. "You can tell us, Mave," she says.

Mavis shrugs. "Well, I...might've found someone who can give us a gig."

"A _paying_ gig?" Violet asks dubiously.

"Yeah!" Mavis affirms.

"Without hearing us first," Violet deadpans, still doubtful.

Mavis blushes. "Look, I met a guy who was in desperate need of a band for a party, and I might've told him I had one, and he...he offered me the gig on the spot. I said I'd see if we were free," she admits.

Rapunzel bites her lip. "We can be free," she says after a moment.

Mavis's eyes light up. "Really?"

"Yeah, why not?" Rapunzel says. "I mean...maybe it's better to move on."

She isn't talking about the band now, and when Mavis and Violet move in to hug her, she knows they must realize that, and that makes her hug them with all the force she can muster.

* * *

.

.

.

"And now, kiddos, we go back to the present," Jack says. "So listen closely..."

.

.

.

* * *

Tooth holds her new daughter in her arms for the first time, and even when she tries not to, she cries. She cries like she's never cried before: out of joy. She's just so _happy_, holding the beautiful girl in her arms and knowing that beautiful baby is her daughter. It's such a surreal, intense moment that she has to swallow quickly, pushing away the urge to full-out sob.

She's a mother now. And while she isn't sure she wants more than that—having a husband still, after all this, has no appeal to her—she knows that she was wrong all this time. She can love. She's always been able to love. Sure, she loves her friends and she's realized that, but this is different.

This love is different.

Tooth smiles at her new daughter—_God_, she loves that word—and gives the baby's soft forehead a desperate, gentle kiss, never having felt more complete in her life.

"Look at her," Hiccup says in a hushed voice, reminding Tooth that her four friends are here too (along with six-month-old Valka) to see the baby. "See the baby, Val? That's your new baby cousin."

Valka, who is fussing in her father's arms, doesn't bother pretending to be interested; she just sticks a fist into her mouth, yawning tiredly. Astrid comes to take her, chastising the child for sucking on her fist (but she says so in a loving voice, so it's a conflicting message).

"She's beautiful, Tooth," Astrid mentions before she whisks Valka away to put her to sleep, giving Tooth a genuine smile. Hiccup goes with her, but echoes the thought just as genuinely before he does.

Merida and Jack go to Tooth's side as the other leave.

"She's a wrinkly thing," Jack says, glancing at the baby.

"An' as pink as all babies are," Merida adds.

"But fuck if she doesn't look like she belongs with you," Jack says after a moment. "Look at her! She's practically another you. Hi there baby Tooth," he coos at the child, to which Tooth rolls her tear-filled eyes at.

"She has a name," Tooth says defensively, but she's smiling.

"Didja pick it, or did tha parents tell yah what tah name 'er?" Merida asks.

"They named her, but they said I could change it if I wanted," Tooth says, and as she cradles her daughter, she continues, "I didn't want to though. Guys...meet Thia."

Jack taps his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, I like baby Tooth better."

"Do yah have tah ruin every good momen' we have, Frost?" asks Merida tiredly.

"Of course I do—baby Tooth's gotta know what she's getting into."

* * *

.

.

.

"And that's Thia!" squeals Sophie.

"Exactly!" Jack beams before turning to Jamie. "Jamie? No blush this time?"

"No, Daddy, he doesn't looooove Thia," Sophie says like it's obvious.

"Oh, sorry, my mistake," Jack jokes. "Should I go back to Valka?"

"_Dad_, just get to how you met Mom already," Jamie complains, cheeks red.

.

.

.

* * *

Merida brings by her new boyfriend for the new year.

She'd already warned Jack that no name jokes were allowed _under any circumstances_, because she'd also shared her boyfriend's name with her friends: Wee Dingwall.

Astrid had snorted.

Hiccup hadn't been fazed.

Tooth had to bite back a smile.

But Jack...Jack had _laughed_.

"Mer," he had laughed, "please tell me he loves that name."

Merida had smacked him on the head for that.

So now, at the new year's party Astrid and Hiccup are hosting, Jack is forced to keep a straight face as he stands with Tooth, talking to Merida's boyfriend. He's a little taller than her, and super thin, with blond hair so stiff and tall it's like a patch of grass. He's got slightly crooked teeth that are evident when he smiles, and he's got a bit of a strange accent when he speaks.

But Jack wouldn't be forced to bite back a laugh for any of that. Oh, no, he's always been rather accepting of people's qualities. It's just the _name_ that gets to him every time he sees Wee Dingwall; he can't help but laugh. The guy does go by Dingwall, which is better than Wee (but only a _wee_ better—ha! Jack cracks himself up).

"So you and Merida both love archery? That's great!" Tooth is saying, bouncing little Thia in her arms as she speaks. "She's been trying to rope us into learning, but we're hopeless with that sport."

"Correction, _you_ are," Jack interjects. "I happen to be amazing."

Tooth rolls her eyes. "Don't listen to my friend," she tells Dingwall. "He's a compulsive liar." Thia starts to fuss in her arms, so Tooth excuses herself to go and feed her, leaving Jack and Dingwall alone.

"So," Jack starts, "how'd you meet Merida?"

Before Dingwall can answer, Merida comes by to pull him away, saying that he was the only one who knew how to prepare a certain dish (but judging by the dirty look she sent Jack, the real reason was to save her boyfriend from any possible name jokes).

Astrid comes by Jack's side as Merida leaves. "We've got like ten minutes before the new year," she says. "Too bad this one conked out a little early." This she says while pointedly pushing her sleeping eleven-month-old daughter higher in her arms.

"It'd be bad if you let her stay up that long, anyway," Jack reminds her.

"Whatever, baby guru," Astrid says sarcastically before she changes the subject. "Hey, listen, Valka's first birthday is next month. Hiccup wants to do something big—maybe do stuff like get a petting zoo and hiring a live band or something."

"Well, you know how much I love bunnies," Jack jokes.

Astrid just shrugs. "Hiccup's idea. He's just spoiling this kid rotten," she says. "Seriously, Valka doesn't even have a taste in music yet. And she's never even been to a zoo, let alone seen any animals beside Toothless."

"She'll grow up thinking all dogs are three-legged," Jack remarks.

"Eh, whatever," Astrid says, waving the thought away. "But I'm bringing up Valka's big day because I need some help with planning. Hiccup'll get the petting zoo, Merida agreed to get a good cake—"

"I could've got a way better cake. Remember your baby shower?"

Astrid squints at him murderously before finishing, "—and Tooth said she'd get the invites; I think she's even planning to design them herself. So I figure I'd tell you to get the band."

"You mean ask me nicely to get the band," Jack says, "right?"

"Sure, let's go with that," Astrid answers flatly. "You have two weeks."

"...I'm pretty sure I didn't even say if I would or wouldn't..."

"You have two weeks," Astrid repeats before she leaves to put Valka to bed.

"..."

Hiccup comes up when Astrid's gone, offering Jack a glass of champagne.

Jack glares at him. "What is this? Everyone keeps coming up to me when another person leaves. I know I'm the most awesome person at this party, guys, but c'mon—a guy needs breathing space."

Hiccup rolls his eyes. "Just take the glass, Jack."

Jack shrugs, taking the glass. "Hey, free alcohol. I'm not gonna complain."

They join the others—the others being Merida, Dingwall, and Tooth. After a minute, Astrid comes to join them too, and they watch as the TV channel they're on counts down to the final minute. Tooth and Jack loudly count down the final ten seconds (while Astrid threatens to rip out their vocal chords if they wake up her kid).

As the clock hits midnight, they cheer. Dingwall and Merida share a quick kiss, and Hiccup tries to kiss Astrid (but she's already taking a healthy gulp of her champagne and complains that Hiccup's lips are cold). Tooth presses a kiss to Jack's cheek, and grabs his arm, snuggly fitting herself against his side.

"Happy new year," she says happily.

"Happy new year," Jack echoes, and he hugs her back.

Everyone toasts their glasses (Astrid's being half-empty) to the new year after a few seconds, and Jack swears that somehow, this small action brings a small to everyone's face.

"So, what's the party plan?" Jack asks when they've taken a drink from their cups.

"Partying?" Tooth laughs. "Heck, I'm going to sleep!"

"Sleep?" Jack repeats, slightly disappointed. "Already?"

"Valka's asleep; might as well join her," Hiccup agrees.

Jack then breaks into a sly grin, nonchalantly finishing his champagne. "Yeah, I guess you guys have the right idea," he says. "I mean, we wouldn't want to stay up until the _wee_ hours of the morning..."

Merida turns a dark shade of red. "JACK FROST!"

* * *

"Happy new year," says a soft voice to Rapunzel's right.

Rapunzel turns her head. "Hey, Vi," she says just as softly, turning her attention back to the stars she'd been gazing at, shifting her weight slightly as she leans against the balcony edge.

"You've been out here a while," Violet says, copying her action and glancing out at the stars herself. "Kristoff seems to think you're out here to avoid Hans."

Rapunzel chuckles. "Well, he does try to blame Hans for everything."

"I don't blame him—I would too, with the way he just waltzed in here unannounced," Violet mutters, no doubt remembering how tearful Elsa had become to see Hans enter the room, and how angry Kristoff and Anna had gotten. "And he just expected her to take him back, too!"

"I always thought that if you loved someone," Rapunzel says softly, "then nothing would matter. Every bad thing could be overlooked. But Hans...he _left_ her. On his own will."

Violet notices that Rapunzel is shaking. "Um, Rapunzel?" she starts carefully.

"He loves her. He has no reason to leave her. _Ever_," Rapunzel says fiercely, and Violet notices that she's gripping the balcony edge now, her knuckles white with pain. "Other people _have_ to leave. But he—he—" she stammers, not able to finish.

Violet places a hand over hers. "It's okay," she says. "You can cry."

Rapunzel glances at Violet, and sure enough, there are hints of tears in her green eyes. "I—I don't want to," she murmurs. "I shouldn't have to. I'm...I'm trying to let go."

Violet nods understandingly. "I'll leave you alone."

"Thank you," Rapunzel says gratefully, and she watches as Violet leaves. Now alone, she stares up at the stars once more, but this time with a new intent. "Um...hi, Flynn." There's no answer, of course, but Rapunzel continues, "I miss you. A lot. How—how are you?" she asks, and the silence hurts more than she'd anticipated. "I've been better, but you know that..."

"Rapunzel." It's Anna, and she hovers by the door. "We're getting the cake out."

"I'll be there in a second," Rapunzel promises. When Anna leaves, she glances back up. "Okay, no more stalling. I know what I'm doing; I want to ask you something." She hesitates, her voice breaking as tears pool to her eyes. "Would it...be okay if I moved on? I don't have anyone yet, but...if I ever find someone..." She can't finish, and the tears finally leave her eyes.

A gust of wind suddenly comes, swirling over the balcony edge. It pushes back Rapunzel's hair a bit forcefully, but disappears as soon as it hits. Rapunzel laughs, wiping at her eyes.

"I'll take that as a yes," she says, and she manages to smile. "Goodbye, Eugene."

* * *

"I have no band," Jack admits into the phone.

"_You what_?" Astrid's voice comes sharply.

Jack winces, glancing around the bar to make sure no one heard her. "Geez, Astrid, and you're with your daughter?" he says. "Keep an inside voice, please."

"Don't play with me, Frost. You didn't get the band?"

"Your daughter is turning one. Do you really need one?" Jack complains.

"That doesn't matter! I just want a damn band," Astrid snaps.

"Well, you didn't even tell me what _kind_," Jack says defensively. "I mean, I could've gotten you a mariachi band, easy—did I ever tell you I'm amazing at maracas?"

"You suck at everything. I don't believe that."

"Look, Astrid, I couldn't get you a band. There's no way I'll be able to get you one by today, either," Jack says. "You won't kill me over this, right?"

"I would, but I'd have witnesses at this party," Astrid deadpans.

And she hangs up without so much of a goodbye.

Jack shakes his head as he pockets his phone. Truly, he'd forgotten about booking the band; he only remembered because Astrid had texted him earlier that day. He'd done a few quick calls to a few local bands, but nobody could come on such short notice.

"Jack? Jack Frost?"

Jack glances to his right, and there's Anna standing before him.

"Anna?" he says in disbelief. "Uh, wow, it's been so long!"

Jack remembers his breakup with Anna, which thankfully was amicable enough, so Jack doesn't feel awkward to see her here at this bar. He is, however, surprised to see her.

"Right?" Anna gives him a bright smile. "How are you?"

"I'm...good," Jack says. "How about you?"

Anna smiles. "I'm okay, I suppose," she says. "How's, uh, Tooth?"

_Tooth_? Jack isn't sure why Anna would be asking about Tooth. Unless, of course, Anna seemingly had caught on that, at the moment, Jack had been hung up on Tooth.

"She's...she's doing well," Jack says. "She's a mother now."

"Really?" Anna is clearly surprised. "You know, Elsa's going to be a mother soon..."

"Elsa?" Jack doesn't try to hide his surprise either. "Wow, that's...great, for her."

"Right?" Anna agrees. "So what are you up to? Still skating?"

"Yeah, just not today—I'm going to a birthday party," Jack says. "Hiccup and Astrid—you remember the scary blond and her boyfriend—they have a daughter that's turning one."

"Oh, really? That's so cute!" Anna cries.

"Yeah...hey, you know, if you wanna come, it'll be fun," Jack says. "I mean, I know you're not into one-year-old stuff like petting zoos and stuff, but there's still going to be food and music...probably a DJ, because I couldn't get a band, but it's music anyway..."

Anna perks up noticeably. "You need a band?"

"I was supposed to get one, but at such short notice..."

"My cousin has a band! I bet they can come on short notice," Anna says, excited.

"Your cousin...wouldn't happen to be the one who put me in the hospital?"

"...uh, yeah. Would you still be interested?"

"Are you kidding? I'm desperate—I'll take whoever you've got!"

Jack hadn't counted on Anna to deliver so effortlessly. She promised to be at the party an hour early with the band, and she kept her promise; at two o' clock sharp, she was at Hiccup and Astrid's with her band in tow. Jack wasn't there to greet her, but Merida was (Hiccup was setting up decorations, Tooth and Jack were in the kitchen preparing food, and Astrid was getting Valka ready).

"Yer Anna, right?" Merida asks flatly as she opens the door to see the aforementioned woman's face. Her tone, however, turns into something more pleasant when she sees who is with her. "_Rapunzel_? What are yah doin' 'ere?"

"Merida, hi!" Rapunzel says cheerfully, hugging a guitar to her chest that gives Merida her answer. "I'm part of the band—but gosh, I never would've guessed YOu would be here! Oh, guys, this is Merida, my friend. Merida, meet my other friends Violet and Mavis!"

Both black-haired women say their respective hellos as Merida lets them in.

"Yah guys can set up outside," Merida says. "Ah'll let tha others know yer 'ere."

The four women head outside, Rapunzel saying hi and introducing herself to Hiccup (startling Hiccup into nearly falling off a ladder while Merida cackles at him from inside). Leaving him alone with the band, a satisfied Merida heads into the kitchen.

"Oi, where're yah two good-fer-nothin's?" Merida calls, entering the kitchen.

"Hi, Merida, nice to see you too," a sarcastic Tooth replies, but she doesn't look up from the salad she's preparing, her small, nimble fingers quickly slicing a few carrots into slices.

Jack, who hovers over her, steals a few as they're cut and pops them in his mouth. "Hiccup done decorating?" he asks Merida through a mouthful of chewed-up carrot.

Tooth shoots him a glare. "Jack, be useful and cut some tomatoes or something."

Jack raises his hands in mock surrender as he backs up dramatically to the drawer where the kitchen utensils are, taking out a knife and grabbing one of the tomatoes Tooth had set up by her carrots.

"I'd rather help Hiccup," he complains as if he's talking to himself, though it's not quiet; rather, it's made to be heard. Tooth sticks out her tongue at him as he starts (rather sloppily) slicing.

Merida snags a carrot slice herself. "Tha band's 'ere, by tha way," she mentions.

"So Anna delivered," Jack muses. "Well, that's great, then."

"Do tha two o' yah want tah check 'em out?" Merida asks. "Ah think Hiccup's goin' tah let tha band practice. Ah mean, ah'm pretty sure he would anyhow."

"No, I've got to finish up here," Tooth declines. "Besides, Thia's sleeping in the next room, and I think she'll wake up soon to eat. I have to stay inside."

"I'll go," Jack offers. "I'm curious to know who this cousin of Anna is."

"Hey, didn't one of Anna's cousins put you in the hospital?" Tooth asks.

"Yeah, it's the same one who is here today, apparently," Jack says. "I didn't get a look at her last time; she knocked me out with a frying pan before I could."

"A...frying pan?" Tooth repeats slowly. "Well, now _I'm_ curious."

However, as a small wail rings through the air, Tooth hurriedly abandons her carrots, wipes her hands off on her jeans, and rushes to the living room to check on Thia.

"Ah'm goin' tah check on Astrid an' Valka," Merida says. "Frost, go an' see if Hiccup's all done. If he in't, then help 'im. And 'ey, if Anna's cousin knocks yah out with a fryin' pan again, have Hiccup call us—ah'd hate tah miss that."

"...thanks, Merida."

When Jack goes outside, he does as he was asked (read: told). Hiccup assures him the place should be good as it is decorated-wise, and that yes, he is letting the band practice.

Jack lets his eyes stray to where the band is, curious. There's a woman dragging a giant drum set from the back door (in parts, of course), with black hair that falls over her eyes but doesn't seem to faze her. Another black-haired woman is working with the amps and mic, setting up in a skilled manner and smiling at Hiccup (with prominent pointy canine teeth) to assure him that she was fine.

They're both pretty. Gorgeous, in fact. But they aren't who capture his attention. It's the person with them who sits on the ground, cross-legged, with an acoustic guitar on her lap, that does. She's absolutely beautiful, with flowing blond hair that touches the ground, and green eyes so wide and clear as if they're innocent to anything bad in the world.

Jack doesn't remember the last time he was so thrown by a woman.

He's standing there, mouth probably open, and just staring. He doesn't know what to do or say; should he go over there and introduce himself? He's at a total loss for action here.

The woman on the floor looks up, those green eyes falling on him. She smiles, and Jack's never seen anything so beautiful. Almost immediately, however, her smile fades away and her mouth falls open in horror; she seemingly recognizes Jack, and that confuses him. He wants to see that smile spread over her face again.

He glances behind him, hoping she's seen someone else, but the woman just stands and hurriedly begins to talk to one of her dark-haired bandmates, even gesturing to him a few times in the conversation. To Jack's surprise, the bandmate—it's the one with the pointy canine teeth—laughs and says something that makes the woman blush.

A stab of pain hits Jack's side before he can even process the pointy elbow that has slammed against it. A hand going protectively to his side, Jack turns to glower at the one person whose elbow can be as sharp as skinny as a stick: Hiccup.

"Might want to take a picture. It'll last you longer," Hiccup suggests.

"I don't know what you're talking about," says Jack innocently.

Hiccup, in a manner that isn't very Hiccup-ish, smirks. "You're checking her out."

"Who, your mom?" Jack wisecracks.

Hiccup rolls his eyes now. "Don't be an ass, Jack," he complains.

Jack laughs. "Your mom jokes define me," he defends. "So where's Astrid?"

"Don't change the subject. I saw the way you were looking at the guitarist," Hiccup says, "and I haven't seen you that awestruck since the day Tooth agreed to go out with you."

Jack huffs at that. "It's a free country. I can stare at people."

"Just don't let your staring do the talking," Hiccup advises. "Talk to her, would you?"

Jack grunts a reply as Hiccup, chuckling, goes to find his wife and daughter. When Jack goes to glance back at the girl, he's surprised to see that she's no longer there. He glances around a little, and quickly turns around to find her, when he collides into someone.

"Ack!" he cries, stumbling backwards.

"I'm sorry!" comes the apologetic cry from the person who stumbled into him.

Jack opens his mouth to reply, but suddenly, he closes it when he sees who is there. It's _her_, the guitarist. She's even more beautiful up close, and damn if Jack doesn't immediately get toungue-tied.

"I'm sorry," she repeats. "I didn't mean to sneak up on you. I just—it's your _hair_"—here, Jack wonders if this is a repeat of the Tooth thing and teeth—"is so...familiar. You used to date Anna, didn't you?"

"I did, yeah," Jack says, and he gingerly touches his white hair. "I guess my hair's pretty much a dead giveaway. How did you know that? I don't think I've ever met you."

Here, the woman turns a brilliant shade of red. "I...I just saw the back of your head once," she admits. "You see, I'd forgotten that Anna said she was inviting her boyfriend over, so when I woke up in the morning and saw you in the apartment..."

Realization hits Jack, and he's so surprised he laughs. "_You're_ Anna's cousin?" he says. "The one who knocked me out with a frying pan?"

She places a hand over her face. "I am _so_ sorry about that," she says. "I'm so embarrassed, I—I'm not a violent person at all! I panicked when I saw you so I grabbed the first thing I saw—"

Jack laughs harder, and stops only to say, "You're just not what I expected."

"I'm...not?"

"That's not a bad thing," Jack hurries to say. "I mean, if someone would've told me that I'd meet the girl who knocked me out with a frying pan at an one-year-old's birthday party, I'd think they were insane."

The woman cracks a smile at that. "You make me sound so _violent_."

"Well, you did put me in a hospital..."

The woman tucks a strand of blond hair shyly behind her ear. "I did say I was sorry," she says playfully. "But, um..." She hesitates just a second, because she remembers Eugene, but she just sucks in a sharp breath and finishes, "If there's anything I can do to make it up to you..."

Jack breaks into a smile. "After knocking me unconscious, I think the least you owe me is letting me buy you a cup of coffee sometime," he says. "Would you be up for that?"

The smile that greets him is hesitant, but beautiful. "I think...I would."

There's a sudden rustle of noise as Astrid and Hiccup bring the birthday girl out. Valka's holding her mother's hand and toddling around, to which Jack smiles at; the little girl's been rushing everywhere since she's been learning to walk. Merida—who is even accompanied by Dingwall—follows after them, her face red as she openly holds hands with her boyfriend. Even Tooth steps out, with little Thia bundled up in blankets.

They're not young adults, fresh out of college and wondering what's going to become of them. Astrid isn't a scary, alcohol-loving bitch; she's a smiling (though still scary) mother. Hiccup isn't an awkward, stumbling boy; he's a selfless father. Merida isn't a sarcastic, hot-headed woman; she's a blushing vision of love. Tooth isn't a disbeliever of love; she is a new mother who has come to see what love truly is.

Jack knows he isn't the same man he was back then either. He remembers how desperate he had been to find love, to settle down, to find the _one_. Now, though, he just wants to take whatever else comes his way as it does, and let his future unfold as it does.

"Hey, by the way," Jack says quietly as he gazes at the green-eyed beauty beside him, "my name is Jack. You know, if Anna didn't tell you that."

The woman smiles again. "Nice to meet you, Jack. I'm Rapunzel."

* * *

.

.

.

"And that, kids, is how I met your mother," Jack finishes, smiling at the memory and gazing at his two children, expectant. However, Jamie stares back with his head propped up with a fist, not excited at all, and Sophie just gives a loud groan.

"_Finally_! I'm like a million years old!" she cries.

Jamie gives an audible yawn. "I'm really sleepy now," he says accusingly.

"That's the point, isn't it? A bedtime story is for bedtime," Jack defends himself.

"But why'd it have to be so _long_?" Jamie presses, still doubtful of the tale.

"_Because_, Jamie, meeting someone isn't just a simple one-time thing! There's gotta be a buildup of character. You guys had to hear everything I went through—and everything my friends went through, too, because it's all gotta clue you in about life—to understand how I was able to mature to love your mother and be ready for a serious relationship—"

A soft knock sounds on the bedroom door.

Jack glances away from his kids, and immediately, his eyes soften at the sight of his wife leaning against the doorframe. "Rapunzel? I didn't even hear you come in! What—you're supposed to be driving to your work training!"

"It got canceled, so I turned around to drive home as soon as I could." Rapunzel gives her husband a tired smile, and it's clear it's been a long drive, but is now happy to be home.

"_Mommy_!" Sophie screeches. "You're here!"

Rapunzel takes that as an invitation to kiss both of her children. "Oh, I missed you two so much!" she exclaims as she gives them each a quick hug. "Has Daddy been boring you with a story?"

"No," Jack says.

"_Yes_," both of his children counter.

Rapunzel hums her disapproval. "He never learns," she says with a sigh, and Sophie giggles, reaching out for another hug (which her mother can't deny her).

"Are you staying now, Mommy?" Jamie asks quietly.

Rapunzel turns her brilliant smile towards her son. "Yeah, baby, I am," she says, reaching out to smooth her son's messy brown hair. "Which means you won't have to listen to your Dad's stories for bedtime tomorrow."

"So you'll sing to us tomorrow?" Jamie perks up.

"Don't I always?" Rapunzel questions laughingly.

Sophie staarts to bounce on her bed excitedly, remembering the usual bedtime routine. "Mommy, can you sing right now? Pleaaaaaase?" she begs.

Rapunzel turns to Jack and says playfully, "How bad was your story, Jack? These poor kids are just trying to forget it ever happened by having me take over!"

Jack huffs, pretending to be hurt. "Well if you guys hated it..."

"No, I loved it, Daddy!" Sophie assures him.

Jamie even smiles a little. "I liked it too," he admits a little reluctantly.

Rapunzel smiles at Jack, reaching over and taking his hand. "Okay, kids, your Daddy's kept you up long enough. I'lll sing to you two if you promise to sleep right afterwards."

"We will! We will!" Sophie promises.

Jack lets go of his wife's hand and goes to lean against the doorframe, taking the usual spot he does whenever Rapunzel sings. It amazes him, as usual, that even after all these years, he can still find himself so much in love with her.

Sure, it hasn't been easy. Jack remembers how unsure Rapunzel was after the loss of Flynn, and how hard it was for her to love again. He knows how hard it was to help her through that; he couldn't have felt more sad for her when he found out about Flynn. But Jack understands why it's been so hard to find the love of his life, and it's been well worth it.

Everything he's gone through has been worth it. His and Rapunzel's disastrous wedding (during which Merida, drunk, had given an unflattering toast of how Rapunzel could do way better than Jack), the birth of Jamie (which was a surprise one), the birth of Sophie (actually planned), and everything after. Each child's first day of school, every sick day, each stolen kiss before work, every day of the life Jack has...it's all worth it.

"_Flower gleam and glow, let your powers shine, make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine_..." Rapunzel begins, her voice soft and melodic.

Jack closes his eyes, just as he did the first time he heard the song. Even after hearing this song every night when Rapunzel puts the kids to bed, he still remembers the way she sang it at the hotel out in the country (at which she had been at because her work had sent all its employees out on vacation).

"_Heal what has been hurt, change the Fates' design; save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine...what once was mine_," finishes Rapunzel softly, and she smiles as she sees that Sophie's already drifted off and Jamie is nearly asleep as well.

Jamie pushes off the doorframe, resting a hand on the small of Rapunzel's back as she sighs, content, watching her peaceful children. She bids them a quiet goodnight, kissing each of their foreheads, and nudges Jack to leave the room.

When the door is closed and they're alone, Rapunzel immediately leans against her husband's chest, wrapping her arms around his torso. He recuperates the hug, smiling against the top of her head.

"I'm glad I was able to stay," Rapunzel says with a sigh. "I don't know how I would've survived staying away from you or the kids. It's bad enough I work so long..."

Jack rubs comforting circles on her back. "Believe me, I would've been the one who wouldn't survive without you here today," he says. "The bedtime thing isn't really my scene, anyway."

Rapunzel giggles. "What story did you tell them, anyway?"

"Only the greatest story in existence—how I met you! But now that I think about it, you weren't even in the story a whole lot," Jack says, frowning. "Maybe I should tell them the story of how I started _loving_ you instead..."

Rapunzel shakes her head. "Oh no, don't start again..."

"Yes, they'll love the story! It'll be powerful. It'll be romantic. It will make them see how important getting to love another person is...and make them cherish it." Jack taps his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, maybe I'll write this one down this time...I had some trouble censoring the last version..."

Rapunzel can't help it—she breaks into a smile. "Jack Frost, you are incorrigible."

"Rapunzel Frost, you are a killjoy."

"_Your_ killjoy," she can't help but rather smugly point out.

"Yes, my killjoy who also loves me so much she'll help me write out our love story, right?" Jack asks, and before Rapunzel can even protest (or flat out say no), he's twirling her around to no music, the way they used to dance when they were young and newly in love, all bare feet and giggles and whispers.

"I love you," Rapunzel says softly as her giggles subside.

Jack smiles at her, eyes softening. "I love you, too."

"...But I'm not helping you bore the kids with another long story."

"..."

* * *

**THE END**


End file.
